The presence of symptoms within 6 months after COVID-19: a single-center longitudinal study


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Emecen A. N., KESKİN S., TURUNÇ Ö., SÜNER A. F., ŞİYVE N., BAŞOĞLU ŞENSOY E., ...More

IRISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE, vol.192, no.2, pp.741-750, 2023 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 192 Issue: 2
  • Publication Date: 2023
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s11845-022-03072-0
  • Journal Name: IRISH JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.741-750
  • Keywords: COVID-19, Longitudinal study, Long-COVID, Post-acute COVID syndrome, Symptoms, INFECTION
  • Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background Characterizing the post-COVID health conditions is helpful to direct patients to appropriate healthcare. Aims To describe the presence of symptoms in COVID-19 patients within 6 months after diagnosis and to investigate the associated factors in terms of reporting symptoms. Methods Data of DEU-COVIMER (a telephone interview-based COVID-19 follow-up center established in a tertiary care hospital) was analyzed for SARS-CoV-2 RNA positive participants aged >= 18 years from November 1st, 2020, to May 31st, 2021. Symptom frequencies were stratified by demographic and clinical characteristics at one, three, and 6 months after diagnosis. With the patients who had symptoms at baseline, generalized estimating equations were applied to identify the factors associated with reporting of symptoms. Results A total of 5610 patients agreed to participate in the study. Symptom frequency was 37.2%, 21.8%, and 18.2% for the first, third, and sixth months. Tiredness/fatigue, muscle or body aches, and dyspnea/difficulty breathing were the most common symptoms in all time frames. In multivariate analysis, older age, female gender (odds ratio OR 1.74, 95% confidence interval 1.57-1.93), bad economic status (OR 1.37, 1.14-1.65), current smoking (OR 1.15, 1.02-1.29), being fully vaccinated before COVID-19 (OR 0.53, 0.40-0.72), having more health conditions (>= 3 conditions, OR 1.78, 1.33-2.37), having more symptoms (> 5 symptoms, OR 2.47, 2.19-2.78), and hospitalization (intensive care unit, OR 2.18, 1.51-3.14) were associated with reporting of symptoms. Conclusions This study identifies risk factors for patients who experience post-COVID-19 symptoms. Healthcare providers should appropriately allocate resources prioritizing the patients who would benefit from post-COVID rehabilitation.