SARS-CoV-2 と COVID-19 に関する備忘録 Vol.65

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SARS-CoV-2 と COVID-19 に関するメモ・備忘録

◆Global Prevalence of Long COVID, Its Subtypes, and Risk Factors: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis【OXFORD ACADEMIC　2025年8月30日】

Abstract

Background

This mega-systematic review evaluated the global prevalence of long COVID and its subtypes and symptoms, and assessed the effects of risk factors for long COVID.

Methods

Studies published from 5 July 2021 to 29 May 2024 were searched in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science, with supplemental updates on 23 July 2024. Data were pooled using a random-effects framework with DerSimonian-Laird estimator. Risk of bias analysis was conducted.

Results

A total of 429 studies were meta-analyzed. The global pooled long COVID prevalence was 36% (95% confidence interval [CI], 33%–40%) with 144 contributing studies. The highest prevalence rates were observed in South America (51% [95% CI, 35%–66%]). The prevalence of long COVID persisted over time, with 35% (95% CI, 31%–39%) at <1 year of follow-up and 46% (95% CI, 37%–57%) at 1–2 years. The most prevalent subtypes were respiratory (20% [95% CI, 14%–28%]) estimated from 31 studies, general fatigue (20% [95% CI, 18%–23%]) from 119 studies, psychological (18% [95% CI, 11%–28%]) from 10 studies, and neurological (16% [95% CI, 8%–30%]) from 23 studies. The 3 strongest risk factors were being unvaccinated for COVID-19 (pooled odds ratio [OR], 2.09 [95% CI, 1.55–2.81]) meta-analyzed from 7 studies, infections from pre-Omicron variants (OR, 1.74 [95% CI, 1.40–2.17]) from 6 studies, and female sex (OR, 1.56 [95% CI, 1.32–1.84]) from 33 studies. Conclusions

Long COVID is globally prevalent after a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection, highlighting a continuing health challenge. The heterogeneity of estimates across populations argues the need for well-designed follow-up studies that use consistent measures and are globally representative.

◆Perceived Chronic Stress prior to SARS-CoV-2 Infection Predicts Ongoing Symptomatic COVID-19: A Prospective Cohort Study【Karger　2025年9月9日】

Abstract

Introduction: Understanding chronic stress as a potential risk factor for COVID-19 progression could inform public health measures and personalized preventive interventions. Therefore, we investigated the influence of chronic stress prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection on symptom persistence 1 month after COVID-19 onset.

Methods: The participants of this prospective cohort study named “StressLoC” were adults with COVID-19 who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection within the last 7 days. Pre-existing perceived chronic stress assessed by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was the primary predictor. The number of stressful life events and hair cortisol concentration served as additional measures of pre-existing chronic stress. The main outcome was examined using the Long COVID Symptom and Impact Tool. It was defined as the presence of any new and impactful COVID-19-related symptom at month 1 after inclusion. Accordingly, participants were assigned to either the ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 group (OSC-G) or control group.

Results: The study cohort comprised 288 participants (73.3% female), with a median age of 46 years (IQR 35–56). A total of 210 participants (72.9%) were categorized as OSC-G. Multivariate logistic regression showed that allocation to OSC-G was predicted by perceived chronic stress in the month prior to COVID-19 (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.14; p = 0.002) and the number of pre-existing symptoms (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.03–1.13; p = 0.001). The number of stressful life events and hair cortisol concentration did not predict OSC-G allocation.

Conclusions: Results suggest that higher levels of pre-existing perceived chronic stress increase the odds of developing ongoing symptomatic COVID-19.

◆ComPsych Data Uncovers a “New Normal” in Employee Leaves Since the COVID-19 Pandemic【businesswire　2025年9月10日】

ComPsych® Corporation, the worldwide leader in organizational mental health, well-being, and absence management, today announced new data demonstrating the profound impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on employee leave, establishing new baselines and reshaping norms across industries. The second annual analysis of ComPsych’s absence book of business, which covers 6 million people, showed continued and concerning elevation in employee leaves of absence. Overall leaves of absence increased 30% between 2019 and 2024 with a staggering 300% increase when looking specifically at mental health leaves of absence.

The “New Normal” in Employee Leaves

Despite these sizable increases from prior to the pandemic, the data shows things are starting to stabilize. While last year’s analysis showed a 33% increase in mental health leaves in 2023 over 2022, from 2023 to 2024, levels remained flat year-over-year. The same was also true for overall leaves of absence.

“The pandemic fundamentally reset norms in absence management for employers,” explained ComPsych CEO Paul Posey. “In the ‘new normal,’ we’re seeing elevated levels of leave across the board, and especially for mental health. This means employers need to reevaluate both their approach to absence management and overall employee well-being to foster workforces that thrive.”

The Impact of Behavioral Health and Well-Being Services on Leave Duration

While employee leaves of absence are significantly elevated from the pre-pandemic levels, and particularly for mental health reasons, a new report from ComPsych shows that employer behavioral health and well-being services can move the needle. On average employees who take a leave of absence for any reason and use their employer-provided behavioral health services return to work six days sooner than those who don’t. This trend persists for those who specifically take leave for mental health, with leave duration increasing by 12% when a person does not use available mental health services, but also for those who take leave for other reasons, including surgery (12% increase in leave duration) and pregnancy/maternity-related leaves (15% length in leave duration).

“The data shows that engaging in behavioral health services helps individuals, and ultimately their teams, by getting them back to work sooner,” said Dr. Jennifer Birdsall, Chief Clinical Officer at ComPsych. “It’s especially encouraging to see this remains true regardless of the leave reason – mental health, physical, parental – as it demonstrates investing in well-being is beneficial across diverse employee populations and life events.”

For more information on ComPsych and its behavioral health and absence management services, please visit www.compsych.com.

◆Long COVID-19 alters muscle architecture and muscle-tendon force transmission: a one-year longitudinal study【Frontiers in Physiology　2025年8月25日】

Introduction: There are limited studies on the long-term effects of COVID-19 on skeletal muscle morphology and architecture. Therefore, this study aims to address this gap by assessing the effects of prior COVID-19 infection on quadriceps muscle architecture and tendon-aponeurosis complex (TAC) properties over a one-year period, comparing three cohorts: individuals with moderate COVID-19, individuals with severe COVID-19, and a healthy control group.

Methods: Seventy participants were included in the study and allocated to three groups: moderate COVID-19 (n = 22), severe COVID-19 (n = 18), and control (n = 30). Four assessments were conducted over 1 year for the COVID groups. Maximal voluntary isometric (MVIC) knee extension contractions were performed on an isometric dynamometer, with simultaneous ultrasound imaging of the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles. Fascicle length (FL) and pennation angle (PA) were obtained at rest and during MVIC, along with TAC displacement. Generalized Estimating Equation models were used to evaluate muscle variables, with “group” and “time” as factors. The model fit was adjusted, with ‘torque’ as a covariate.

Results: Regarding muscle architecture, FL was greater in the severe COVID-19 group during early post-infection assessments for the RF at rest (p = 0.043). Additionally, both COVID-19 groups exhibited longer VL fascicles compared to controls (p = 0.032). TAC displacement was reduced in the severe COVID-19 group (RF: p = 0.008; VL: p = 0.047) compared to control. TAC stiffness did not differ between groups (p = 0.517), but torque production demonstrated an effect on this variable (p = 0.001). Both COVID-19 groups presented reduced PA for the VL at rest (p = 0.012) compared to control. Additionally, torque played a crucial role in influencing PA in both muscles, at rest and during contraction.

Conclusion: Participants with severe COVID-19 exhibited alterations in muscle architecture, which may contribute to persistent muscular weakness even one-year post-infection. The findings underscore the potential role of muscle strength, particularly the impact of torque on TAC stiffness and PA across all groups. Long COVID-19 rehabilitation and exercise physiologists should prioritize quadriceps strengthening strategies to restore muscle architecture and optimize force transmission.

◆Dissecting the epigenome dynamics in human immune cells upon viral and chemical exposure by multimodal single-cell profiling【bioRxiv　2025年9月11日】

Abstract

Pathogen and chemical exposures lead to profound remodeling of the gene-regulatory landscape across human immune cell populations. Here, we present a single-nucleus chromatin accessibility atlas of human immune cells of individuals exposed to HIV-1, COVID-19, Influenza virus, organophosphates as well as healthy controls that provides insights into gene regulation driven by these cell-extrinsic stimuli. This atlas comprises 271,299 cells and 319,420 candidate regulatory elements that exhibit dynamic accessibility associated with gene expression across immune cell states. Our longitudinal HIV cohort reveals epigenetic signatures of T cell exhaustion, manifested in changes in the accessibility of binding sites for the FOXP family transcription factors. We further identified changes in the accessibility of candidate regulatory elements in CD14 monocytes upon SARS-CoV-2 exposure that are associated with a switch in NF-κB to AP-1-based regulation of cytokine networks. By integrating single-cell profiles of DNA methylation from matched samples we created a multimodal epigenome atlas of human immune cells across exposure states using the accessibility-derived candidate regulatory elements. Both modalities exhibit complementary epigenetic signatures at transcription factor binding sites associated with cell state, as exemplified in the process of memory formation in T-cells. Finally, by linking potentially regulatory DNA methylation signatures to changes in chromatin accessibility in monocytes, we identify AP1 motifs exhibiting epigenetic dynamics, indicating selective remodeling in TF networks in severe cases of COVID-19.

◆US students’ reading and math scores at historic lows: ‘Devastating trend’【abc7：Yi-Jin Yu　2025年9月10日】

High school students, especially 12th graders, are reading and learning math and science at historic lows, according to a new report from the National Assessment of Education Progress.

The new report, known as the Nation’s Report Card, was released Monday by the National Center for Education Statistics, or NCES, and the Department of Education. It is the first nation’s report card to be released since the coronavirus pandemic.

The report shows almost half of high school seniors are now testing below basic levels in math and reading, and approximately 35% are at or above a proficient reading level, while 32% of them had a below “basic” reading proficiency.

By comparison, 37% of high school seniors were reading at or above proficiency in the 2019 report card, and 40% were at or above reading proficiency in 1992.

In math, the report shows only about 22% of 12th graders performing at or above proficiency standards.

The report card also looked at eighth graders and their science ability and found 31% of them were performing at proficient or above proficient standards.

Another key issue the report highlighted was absenteeism, with the number of absent students in schools rising among all age groups since the pandemic.

According to the report card, in 2024, approximately 31% of 12th graders specifically reported missing at least three or more days of school in the previous month, an increase from 2019, when the rate was 26%.

Educators and policymakers say it is critical for parents to stay engaged and regularly check in with students and their teachers about assignments and any absences.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon called the report’s findings “devastating” in a statement Tuesday.

“Today’s NAEP results confirm a devastating trend: American students are testing at historic lows across all of K-12,” McMahon said, adding, “Despite spending billions annually on numerous K-12 programs, the achievement gap is widening, and more high school seniors are performing below the basic benchmark in math and reading than ever before.”

The Department of Education has notably been cutting staff and services under McMahon’s leadership, including the researchers who produced the new nation’s report card. President Donald Trump has also tasked McMahon with dismantling her department altogether and handing control over education agendas to the states.

“Success isn’t about how much money we spend, but who controls the money and where that money is invested,” she said Tuesday.

Marty West, a professor of education at Harvard University, told ABC News the results are concerning because only a portion of American students are getting the education they deserve.

“What troubles me most about the patterns that we’re seeing is that the declines are largest for our lowest-performing students — those in the bottom quarter of the distribution. Meanwhile, high-scoring students – those at the 90th percentile are doing just about as well as ever,” West said. “So, this really highlights the extent with which American schools right now are really only preparing some students for success at the post-secondary level.”