Clinical characteristics of healthcare workers with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms: A case series

ABSTRACT

@#This study was a case series of nine healthcare workers who were documented to have had prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 between April 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. The majority were females and middle-aged (40–59 years old) with the following comorbid conditions hypertension, bronchial asthma, and allergic rhinitis. Four healthcare workers directly handled COVID-19 patients. Seven healthcare workers were admitted during the acute phase of the illness, three of whom were diagnosed with COVID-19 Pneumonia, and one was readmitted due to persistent palpitations. Their presenting symptoms varied among the 9 cases, such as chills, fever, headache, cough, colds, sore throat, throat itchiness, loss of taste and smell, and myalgia. Prolonged symptoms were the following cough, myalgia, easy fatigability, exertional dyspnea, shortness of breath, hair loss, and diarrhea. The duration of symptoms from onset to resolution ranges from 4.5 weeks to 30 weeks. All individuals with COVID-19, including healthcare workers, are susceptible to long-term COVID, which involves heterogenous symptoms that may last for varying durations.