ABSTRACT
Introduction: Since the appearance of SARS-CoV-2, more than 40 million patients worldwide have recovered from the infection. Co-morbidities have been linked with severity of disease and outcomes in patients infected with COVID-19. As the pandemic progresses, patients deemed “Long Haulers” are being recognized as more individuals recover. Currently, there is limited data on the late sequalae of the disease especially in the population of patients with no comorbidities. Objective: Evaluate the long-term sequalae of COVID-19 infection in healthy individuals. Methods: We identified 101 patients who presented to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) COVID-19 recovery clinic between July, 16, 2020 to October,8, 2020, and excluded all subjects with underlying comorbidities. Demographics and data regarding hospitalization history, persistent symptoms, patient health questionnaire score (PHQ-9), Generalized anxiety disorder score (GAD-7) and six-minute walk distance were collected. Results (Table 1): A total of 25 patients (24.7%) with no comorbidities were identified during the study period. Patients were predominantly female (80%), and older than 40 years (90%). More than half of subjects identified as white (52%), and 10 patients (40%) were hospitalized for COVID related symptoms. The mean duration from positive test to clinic visit was 66 days. Persistent fatigue, dyspnea on exertion and cough were reported by 96%, 84% and 68% of patients, respectively. Depression (PHQ-9 ≥ 5) and anxiety (GAD-7 ≥ 5) were present in 15 patients (60%), while 84% reported persistent gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, and 76% reported persistent headache. The mean six-minute walk distance was 1084 feet. Conclusion: While comorbidities may be an indicator of COVID-19 disease severity, those without comorbidities are not spared from the prolonged recovery from illness.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: On March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The disease has had a major impact on public health and the global economy with more than 70 million people infected worldwide and more than 1.5 million mortalities. However, less is known about the long-term consequences of the disease. Objective: Evaluate the long-term health effects of COVID-19 on hospitalized and non-hospitalized subjects. Methods: We identified all patients who presented to the COVID-19 recovery clinic at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in the period from March 16, 2020, to October 8, 2020. Data regarding persistent symptoms, patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9) score, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD- 7) questionnaire score and six-minute walk distance was collected. Comparisons between patients with a history of hospitalization for COVID-19 related symptoms and those who were not hospitalized were performed using Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables, and independent t-test for numeric values. Results: We identified a total of 93 patients who presented to the COVID-19 recovery clinic during the study period. Patients were predominantly females (69.9%), mean age was 52 years and the majority were white (58%). Obesity (body mass index ≥30) was present in 62% of subjects and 73% had at least one comorbidity. The most common noted comorbidities were hypertension (53.8%), asthma (29%) and diabetes (22.6%). The mean duration from positive COVID-19 test to clinic visit was 62 days (Table 1). Persistent fatigue, cough and dyspnea on exertion were reported by 60%, 57% and 56% of patients, respectively. The mean six-minute walk distance was 952 feet. Of the entire cohort, 46 (49.5%) were not hospitalized for COVID-19 related symptoms, these patients were younger (48 vs 56 years, P 0.006), and out of the comorbidities studied, obesity was less common (50% vs 74.4%, P 0.037) compared to those who were hospitalized. The mean six-minute walk distance was greater in the non-hospitalized cohort (1067 vs 841 feet, P 0.016) compared to those who were hospitalized. There was no difference between both groups in the prevalence of persistent symptoms, depression or anxiety. Conclusion: Persistent symptoms including fatigue, dyspnea, depression and anxiety were common in patients who recovered from COVID-19, regardless of their hospitalization history. Performance on the six-minute walk test was lower in patients who were hospitalized.