Background Some patients experience long-term symptoms after COVID-19, but data on outpatients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 are scarce. Objective To describe persisting symptoms more than 3 months after infection in PCR-confirmed COVID-19 in comparison to negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR outpatients and to identify predictors of long-term symptoms in COVID-19.

Setting Outpatient clinics of a Swiss university center. Patients 418 symptomatic outpatients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 (COVID-positive) and 89 negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR (COVID-negative). Design Prospective cohort study.

Measurements Predefined long-term symptoms were evaluated though a phone interview >3 to 10 months after diagnosis. Associations between long-term symptoms and PCR test result, as well predictors of persisting symptoms in COVID-positive were evaluated by multivariate logistic regression including potential confounders (age, sex, smoking, comorbidities, time of the phone survey).

Results The study population consisted mostly of young (median of 41 versus 36 years in COVID-positive and COVID-negative, respectively; p=0.020) health care workers (67% versus 82%; p=0.006).

Persisting symptoms were reported by 223 (53%) COVID-positive and 33 (37%) COVID-negative (p=0.006).

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