The Predictors of Long COVID in Southeastern Italy.

From our data and in line with other studies, the female sex emerges as a risk factor for Long COVID in the population of Southeastern Italy. Corticosteroid therapy administered in the acute phase also appears to be associated with an increased risk of Long COVID. Although indications for the prescription of corticosteroid therapy in the acute phase were indicated by the presence of pneumonia complicated by respiratory insufficiency, there was an over-prescription of corticosteroid therapy in the real life of our cohort, with 64% of patients having respiratory insufficiency and 81% having corticosteroid therapy. We hypothesize that a synergistic link between viral infection and the side effects of corticosteroid therapy may arise in selected cases.