Post-Covid-19 Symptoms, an Online Survey in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Prolonged COVID-19 symptoms is one of the major challenges in the management of the disease. As the number of COVID-19 cases increased drastically, the number of those with prolonged symptoms are also accumulating, either diagnosed or undiagnosed. This study aimed to identify the long-term clinical symptoms of COVID- 19 and the associated risk factors among Malaysian populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using Google Form link for distribution of a selfadministered questionnaire was shared and disseminated via online platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The inclusion criteria included those with a history of positive COVID-19 from 1st March 2020 until one month prior to the survey, and age above 18 years old. RESULTS: A total of 215 Malaysians participated, with 74% female respondents and a mean age of 36.4 years. Twenty-seven (12.6%) were asymptomatic when diagnosed with COVID-19. More than half (56%) still had symptoms at one-month of diagnosis, while 39% and 18% still had symptoms at the second and third months respectively. The most reported symptoms were lethargy (45.1%), difficult concentrating (22.3%) and cough (21.9%). Female, chronic lung disease and hypertension were significantly associated with prolonged symptoms at one month of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Lethargy, difficulty to concentrate and cough were the most common symptoms reported months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Apart from treating acute conditions, physicians should also be able to recognize and manage those symptoms. The findings of this study will help policymakers better grasp the social and economic consequences of long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms.

Post-Covid-19 Symptoms, an Online Survey in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION: Prolonged COVID-19 symptoms is one of the major challenges in the management of the disease. As the number of COVID-19 cases increased drastically, the number of those with prolonged symptoms are also accumulating, either diagnosed or undiagnosed. This study aimed to identify the long-term clinical symptoms of COVID-19 and the associated risk factors among Malaysian populations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional survey using Google Form link for distribution of a selfadministered questionnaire was shared and disseminated via online platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Telegram. The inclusion criteria included those with a history of positive COVID-19 from 1st March 2020 until one month prior to the survey, and age above 18 years old. RESULTS: A total of 215 Malaysians participated, with 74% female respondents and a mean age of 36.4 years. Twenty-seven (12.6%) were asymptomatic when diagnosed with COVID-19. More than half (56%) still had symptoms at one-month of diagnosis, while 39% and 18% still had symptoms at the second and third months respectively. The most reported symptoms were lethargy (45.1%), difficult concentrating (22.3%) and cough (21.9%). Female, chronic lung disease and hypertension were significantly associated with prolonged symptoms at one month of COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: Lethargy, difficulty to concentrate and cough were the most common symptoms reported months after COVID-19 diagnosis. Apart from treating acute conditions, physicians should also be able to recognize and manage those symptoms. The findings of this study will help policymakers better grasp the social and economic consequences of long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia is the property of International Islamic University Malaysia, Faculty of Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Functional autoantibodies against G-protein coupled receptors in patients with persistent Long-COVID-19 symptoms.

Impairment of health after overcoming the acute phase of COVID-19 is being observed more and more frequently. Here different symptoms of neurological and/or cardiological origin have been reported. With symptoms, which are very similar to the ones reported but are not caused by SARS-CoV-2, the occurrence of functionally active autoantibodies (fAABs) targeting G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR-fAABs) has been discussed to be involved. We, therefore investigated, whether GPCR-fAABs are detectable in 31 patients suffering from different Long-COVID-19 symptoms after recovery from the acute phase of the disease. The spectrum of symptoms was mostly of neurological origin (29/31 patients), including post-COVID-19 fatigue, alopecia, attention deficit, tremor and others. Combined neurological and cardiovascular disorders were reported in 17 of the 31 patients. Two recovered COVID-19 patients were free of follow-up symptoms. All 31 former COVID-19 patients had between 2 and 7 different GPCR-fAABs that acted as receptor agonists. Some of those GPCR-fAABs activate their target receptors which cause a positive chronotropic effect in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, the read-out in the test system for their detection (bioassay for GPCR-fAAB detection). Other GPCR-fAABs, in opposite, cause a negative chronotropic effect on those cells. The positive chronotropic GPCR-fAABs identified in the blood of Long-COVID patients targeted the ß2-adrenoceptor (ß2-fAAB), the α1-adrenoceptor (α1-fAAB), the angiotensin II AT1-receptor (AT1-fAAB), and the nociceptin-like opioid receptor (NOC-fAAB). The negative chronotropic GPCR-fAABs identified targeted the muscarinic M2-receptor (M2-fAAB), the MAS-receptor (MAS-fAAB), and the ETA-receptor (ETA-fAAB). It was analysed which of the extracellular receptor loops was targeted by the autoantibodies.