Night Shift Work Linked to Higher Long COVID Risk

A new study has provided the first evidence that night work and chronic insomnia may raise the likelihood of developing long COVID. Researchers report that individuals who regularly work overnight shifts or suffer from persistent sleep disorders experience a higher incidence of prolonged post‑viral symptoms following SARS‑CoV‑2 infection.

The research, led by ISGlobal and supported by the la Caixa Foundation, was conducted in partnership with the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) using data from the GCAT | Genomes for Life cohort. The cohort includes thousands of participants whose occupational histories and sleep patterns were linked to their COVID‑19 outcomes. Statistical analysis revealed that night‑shift workers and those with chronic insomnia had a significantly greater risk of reporting long‑COVID symptoms compared with daytime workers and individuals with normal sleep.

These findings underscore the need for targeted preventive measures for vulnerable worker groups and suggest that sleep health may play a critical role in post‑COVID recovery. Further studies are required to confirm the mechanisms underlying this association and to inform public health strategies aimed at reducing long‑COVID morbidity.