ABSTRACT
Background: Health-care specialists and clinical researchers worldwide have been concentrating more on the acute and intense phase of the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) infection, but there is an exigency toward the incessant monitoring in the postdischarge period to foresee the long-lasting effects of the disease. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the post-COVID-19 health and functional status (PCFS) and the long-term health implications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 infection among COVID-19 recovered patients. Materials and Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, and hospital-based study was conducted among the COVID-19 recovered patients. The PCFS scale was used as a study tool to assess the functional status. Data were entered into Excel spreadsheets 2019, and statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS version 24.0. Descriptive statistics were used, and the Chi-square test was used to determine the role of sociodemographic characteristics on questions. The statistical significance level was set at P < 0.05 (two-sided). Results: A total of 80 patients were included in the study and the mean age was 37.03 +/- 15.15 years. More than half of the participants (52.5%) showed functional limitations. Fatigue (30%), anxiety (23.75%), and cough (6.25%) were noted to be persistent symptoms reported post-COVID-19 recovery. The majority (88.75%) of the study participants experienced at least one symptom post-COVID-19 and 52.5% have experienced at least one functional limitation. The presence of comorbidities (r = 0.664;likelihood ratio [LR] = 0.968), and vaccination (r = 0.700;LR = 0.611) considerably influenced the PCFS. Conclusion: Our study revealed that there is a significant limitation of PCFS among recovered patients. The presence of comorbidities and vaccination significantly correlated with the PCFS. Standard identification tools, extensive screening, and wide education of consequences related to post-COVID-19 along multicentric and global studies are the need of the hour.
ABSTRACT
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related pandemic has been in existence for almost 2 years now after its possible emergence from a wet market in the city of Wuhan of the Chinese mainland. Evidence of the emergence and transmission of this virus was attributed to bats and pangolins. The causative virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has rapidly spread globally, affecting humans considerably with its current death toll to be over 4.7 million out of more than 233 confirmed cases as of September 2021. The virus is constantly mutating and continuously trying to establish itself in humans by increasing its transmissibility and virulence through its numerous emerging variants. Several countries have been facing multiple waves of COVID-19 outbreaks one after the other, putting the medical and healthcare establishments under tremendous stress. Although very few drugs and vaccines have been approved for emergency use, their production capabilities need to meet the needs of a huge global population. Currently, not even a quarter of the world population is vaccinated. The situation in India has worsened during the ongoing second wave with the involvement of virus variants with a rapid and huge surge in COVID-19 cases, where the scarcity of hospital infrastructure, antiviral agents, and oxygen has led to increased deaths. Recently, increased surveillance and monitoring, strengthening of medical facilities, campaigns of awareness programs, progressive vaccination drive, and high collaborative efforts have led to limiting the surge of COVID-19 cases in India to a low level. This review outlines the global status of the pandemic with special reference to the Indian scenario.