Strict long COVID, symptom persistence, and functional decline among community-dwelling older adults in Quito, Ecuador: a cross-sectional study.
Strict long COVID affected about 18% of older adults after confirmed COVID-19.
Strict long COVID, symptom persistence, and functional decline among community-dwelling older adults in Quito, Ecuador: a cross-sectional study.
Long COVID is an increasingly recognized health concern in older adults, yet data from Latin America remain limited.
This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of strict long COVID among older Ecuadorian adults and to characterize persistent post-COVID symptoms, clinical correlates, and functional/cognitive worsening.
We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1,050 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Quito, Ecuador.
nearly 1 in 5 had symptoms persisting past 12 weeks
The mean age was 74.2 ± 7.5 years, and 565 participants (53.8%) were women.
Persistent post-COVID symptoms lasting 4-6 weeks and 7-12 weeks were reported by 401 (38.2%) and 458 (43.6%) participants, respectively.
In multivariable analysis, severe or critical acute COVID-19 was independently associated with strict long COVID (adjusted OR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.62-3.41; p < 0.001).
Female sex, age ≥ 81 years, incomplete vaccination, diabetes with organ involvement, hospitalization, and care dependence were not independently associated with strict long COVID.
Strict long COVID affected nearly one in five older adults with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection in Quito, Ecuador.
Severe or critical acute COVID-19 was the main factor independently associated with strict long COVID, and affected participants had greater functional/cognitive worsening.
These findings support integrating post-COVID screening, functional assessment, and geriatric rehabilitation into primary care for older adults in Latin America.