Persistent Symptoms, Quality of Life, and Risk Factors in Long COVID: a Cross-sectional Study of Hospitalized Patients in Brazil

Overview

Journal Int J Infect Dis

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2022 Jul 31

PMID 35908724

Authors

Jacqueline Ferreira de Oliveira

Renata Eliane de Avila

Neimy Ramos de Oliveira

Natalia da Cunha Severino Sampaio

Maiara Botelho

Fabiola Araujo Goncalves

Cirilo Jose Ferreira Neto

Ana Carolina de Almeida Milagres

Tatiane Cristina Caldeira Gomes

Tassia Lopardi Pereira

Renan Pedra de Souza

Israel Molina

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: COVID-19 has been associated with long-term consequences to patient wellness and quality of life. Data on post-COVID-19 conditions are scarce in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate long COVID in a cohort of hospitalized patients in Brazil.

Methods: Surviving patients discharged from the hospital between July 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021 were assessed between 2 and 12 months after acute onset of COVID-19. The outcomes were the prevalence of persistent symptoms, risk factors associated with long COVID, and quality of life as assessed by the EuroQol 5D-3L questionnaire.

Results: Of 439 participants, most (84%) reported at least one long COVID symptom, at a median of 138 days (interquartile range [IQR] 90-201) after disease onset. Fatigue (63.1%), dyspnea (53.7%), arthralgia (56.1%), and depression/anxiety (55.1%) were the most prevalent symptoms. In multivariate analysis, dysgeusia (odds ratio [OR] 2.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.18-3.44, P <0.001) and intensive care unit (ICU) admission (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.19-6.56, P = 0.03) were independently associated with long COVID. Fifty percent of patients reported a worsened clinical condition and quality of life.

Conclusion: Long-term outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a low- to middle-income country were relevant. Fatigue was the most common persistent symptom. ICU admission was an independent factor associated with long COVID. Dysgeusia could be a potential predictor of long COVID.

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