Post-covid Syndrome: A Single-Center Questionnaire Study On 1007 Participants Recovered from COVID-19, 2021, Kayaaslan et al

ABSTRACT

Background
Post-recovery manifestations have become another concern in patients who recovered from COVID-19. Numerous reports have shown that COVID-19 has a variety of long-term effects on almost all systems including respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, psychiatric, and dermatological systems. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of the post-covid syndrome among COVID-19 survivors and to determine the factors associated with persistent symptoms.

Methods
This prospective study enrolled in COVID-19 patients followed in hospital or outpatient clinics in Ankara City Hospital. We performed a special questionnaire to inquire presence of persistent symptoms beyond 12 weeks from the first diagnosis. Demographic data, comorbid diseases, characteristics of acute COVID-19, presence of persistent symptoms by systems, and knowledge about outpatient clinic visits after recovery were assessed.

Results
A total of 1007 participants, 39.0% had at least one comorbidity, and 47.5% had persistent symptoms. Fatigue/easy fatigability, myalgia, and loss of weight were the most frequent persistent symptoms (overall 29.3%) and followed by respiratory symptoms (25.4%). A total of 235 participants had visited outpatient clinics due to several reasons during the post-COVID-19 period, 17 of them were hospitalized. Severe acute COVID-19, hospitalization, and presence of comorbidity were independent factors for the development of persistent symptoms.

Conclusion
Fully understanding the spectrum of post-covid syndrome is essential for appropriate management of all its long-term effects. Our study once again underlined that the prevalence of post-covid syndrome is higher than expected and concerns many systems, and a multidisciplinary follow-up should be provided to COVID-19 survivors in the post-recovery period.

Open access, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.27198

 

I'm getting a bit bored of these retrospective questionnaire based studies. Why didn't the CDC or anyone else step up to the plate with a prospective community based study? I mean they've had 18 months to get one started!?!

 

The CDC seems to have had real trouble figuring out whether people should be wearing masks during a pandemic, so this kind of thing seems like quite an ask.