Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/30513
Title: Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Episodes and Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Alacevich, C
Thalmann, I
Nicodemo, C
de Lusignan, S
Petrou, S
Keywords: COVID-19;symptomatic;health-related quality of life;health utilities
Issue Date: 27-May-2023
Publisher: Springer Adis (part of Springer Nature)
Citation: Alacevich, C. et al. (2023) 'Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 Episodes and Health-Related Quality of Life', Applied Health Economics and Health Policy, 21 (5), pp. 761 - 771. doi: 10.1007/s40258-023-00810-y.
Abstract: Background: Understanding the physical and mental health needs of the population through evidence-based research is a priority for informing health policy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, population wellbeing dramatically dropped. The relationship between experiences of symptomatic illness episodes and health-related quality of life has been less documented. Objective: This study analysed the association between symptomatic COVID-19 illness and health-related quality of life. Methods: The analyses drew from a cross-sectional analysis of data from a national digital symptoms’ surveillance survey conducted in the UK in 2020. We identified illness episodes using symptoms and test results data and we analysed validated health-related quality of life outcomes including health utility scores (indexed on a 0–1 cardinal scale) and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores (0–100 scale) generated by the EuroQoL’s EQ-5D-5L measure. The econometric model controlled for respondents’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, comorbidities, social isolation measures, and regional and time fixed effects. Results: The results showed that the experience of common SARS-CoV-2 symptoms was significantly associated with poorer health-related quality of life across all EQ-5D-5L dimensions of mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression, a decrement in utility score of − 0.13 and a decrement in the EQ-VAS score of − 15. The findings were robust to sensitivity analyses and restrictive test results-based definitions. Conclusion: This evidence-based study highlights the need for targeting of interventions and services towards those experiencing symptomatic episodes during future waves of the pandemic and helps to quantify the benefits of SARS-CoV-2 treatment in terms of health-related quality of life.
Description: Availability of Data and Material: The data that support the findings of this study are available from EMIS Health in collaboration with the University of Oxford and the UK Royal College of General Practitioner but restrictions apply: the data were used under license agreement for the current study, and so are not publicly available. Anonymised data are however available from the authors upon reasonable request and with permission of EMIS Health, the University of Oxford and the UK Royal College of General Practitioner.
Code Availability: Codes are available from the authors upon request.
JEL Classification: C1; I1; I14; I310
Supplementary Information is available online at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40258-023-00810-y#Sec11 .
URI: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/30513
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40258-023-00810-y
ISSN: 1175-5652
Other Identifiers: ORCiD: Caterina Alacevich https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3931-3103
ORCiD: Catia Nicodemo https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5490-9576
Appears in Collections:Brunel Business School Research Papers

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