A comparison of ongoing symptoms and functional impacts of people testing PCR-positive to either COVID-19 or influenza, and people testing PCR-negative to these illnesses.

Eligible participants were those who received a PCR test result for either COVID-19 or influenza. Participants who tested positive to both were excluded. Not all participants were tested for both illnesses simultaneously, meaning that COVID-19 positive cases were included if they were not also tested for influenza (and vice-versa), however these were small in number. All participants had a PCR test for COVID-19 or influenza, which occurred in late May and June 2022. The initial follow up covered by the original ethics approval occurred in September 2022. An ethics amendment was approved in May 2023 to allow ongoing research, which relates to further follow up at 12 months after the test result. This occurred in June/July 2023 and involed: 1. re-surveying those from the 3-month cohort who opted to be followed up by Qld Health at a later date; and 2. a new cohort who were not previously contacted in the earlier 3-month iteration of the survey. Patients who tested positive or negative via PCR to COVID-19 are observed three months and twelve months after their positive result, and asked to complete a short questionnaire to ascertain their ongoing symptoms and degree of functional impairment. There is no observation between the PCR result and the request to complete a short 5 minute questionnaire. Patients who tested positive via PCR to influenza are also observed three months and 12 months after their positive result, and asked to complete the same questionnaire. There is no observation between the PCR result and the request to complete a short 5 minute questionnaire.