Post-COVID-19 condition risk in patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities: a retrospective cohort study involving 36,308 patients

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To date, no studies have investigated the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Addressing this research gap is crucial, as understanding post-COVID-19 conditions in IDD patients can improve care planning, and it is essential not to overlook this vulnerable population in COVID-19 studies. This study was aimed at investigating the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in patients with IDD and compare their risk with that of the general population. METHODS: Using the TriNetX network, we identified patients with and without an IDD who had COVID-19. Subsequently, we compared the risk of developing any post-COVID-19 condition between these two groups, during the 90-180-day follow-up after SARS-CoV-2 infection. RESULTS: During the follow-up, patients with an IDD exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions compared to the general population (hazard ratio [HR], 1.120; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.053-1.191). Specifically, COVID-19 survivors with IDD had a significantly increased risk of experiencing abnormal breathing (HR, 1.216; 95% CI: 1.077-1.373), abdominal symptoms (HR, 1.259; 95% CI: 1.128-1.406), fatigue (HR, 1.397; 95% CI: 1.216-1.606), anxiety/depression (HR, 1.157; 95% CI: 1.050-1.274), cognitive symptoms (HR, 1.828; 95% CI: 1.529-2.186), myalgia (HR, 1.325; 95% CI: 1.077-1.631), sleep disturbances (HR, 1.481; 95% CI: 1.148-1.910), and cough (HR, 1.315; 95% CI: 1.146-1.508) compared to the non-IDD group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IDD might be associated with a higher risk of post-COVID-19 conditions following SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to the general population.