Long COVID.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), was primarily focused on the involvement of the respiratory system, as the most common clinical manifestation of the disease. Currently, also long COVID poses a significant problem for medicine and public health worldwide. It is characterized by persistent symptoms from various organs or systems, often present for several weeks and months after acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Currently, the most frequently used description for long COVID referred to symptoms that last more than three months after the onset. Numerous data confirm long-term effects of COVID-19, including pulmonary, cardiovascular, neurological, renal, hematologic, gastrointestinal, endocrine and psychosocial manifestations. It is necessary to monitor patients after acute phase of COVID-19 to detect and treat possible multi-organ long-term consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

A Survey-Based Study on the Impact of Post-Covid 19 Symptoms among Indians

Background The entire world is combating COVID-19;however, a significant proportion of patients demonstrate the persistence of some COVID-19 symptoms, new symptom development, or exaggeration of pre-existing disease after a negative viral load. They are referred to as a post-COVID-19 syndrome. According to various researches, COVID-19 has a wide range of long-term effects on virtually all systems, including the respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, neurological, mental, and dermatological systems. Finding the various symptoms of post-acute and chronic is critical since they might have a significant impact on the patients' everyday functioning. As a result, we aimed to distinguish the symptoms immediately after the initial phase in which the symptoms affected them for more than three weeks.The symptoms prolonged for a few weeks in post covid time are referred to as acute COVID-19 and the symptoms that persist with the affected individuals for more than three months are referred to as chronic COVID - 19. This paper was written as a review report to provide an overview of the nature and frequency of symptoms observed by patients with mild COVID-19 after the first three weeks. We also envisionedlooking at the various incidences and factors that contribute to the development of post-COVID-19 syndrome in different patient groups, as well as the chances of overcoming it. Objective The objective of this review paper is as follows: To establish the prevalence and characteristics of the post-COVID 19 syndrome in COVID-19 survivors, as well as the factors associated with persistent symptoms. To increase community knowledge about the type and frequency of persistent symptoms experienced by patients post serious and moderate COVID-19 infection. Methods The three-session questionnaire, which includes patient demographic data, vaccination status, and patient status during COVID-19, and post-COVID-19 syndrome, was provided to the public who recovered from COVID-19 and received their responses as primary data. The responses were evaluated to show the relationship between numerous factors that induce post-COVID-19 syndrome. Results A total of 136 responses were obtained and evaluated. This literature review comprised ten publications. As a result, the frequency of persistent symptoms in individuals following mild COVID-19 infection ranged from 15% to 45%. Symptoms reported in mild COVID-19 infected people can be classified as physical, mental, or social. Weakness was the most frequently mentioned consistent symptom. Dyspnea, cough, chest pain, headache, poor mental and cognitive state, and olfactory impairment were also reported as persistent symptoms. There was a significant impact seen in their employment and the daily functioning of the patients. Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.

Longitudinal Assessment of Health and Quality of Life of COVID-19 Patients Requiring Intensive Care-An Observational Study.

Long-term health consequences in survivors of severe COVID-19 remain unclear. Eighteen COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit at the University Hospital Rechts der Isar, Munich, Germany, between 14 March and 23 June 2020, were prospectively followed-up at a median of 36, 75.5, 122 and 222 days after discharge. The health-related quality of life (HrQoL) (36-item Short Form Health Survey and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire, SGRQ), cardiopulmonary function, laboratory parameters and chest imaging were assessed longitudinally. The HrQoL assessment revealed a reduced physical functioning, as well as increased SGRQ impact and symptoms scores that all improved over time but remained markedly impaired compared to the reference groups. The median radiological severity scores significantly declined; persistent abnormalities were found in 33.3% of the patients on follow-up. A reduced diffusion capacity was the most common abnormal pulmonary function parameter. The length of hospitalization correlated with role limitations due to physical problems, the SGRQ symptom and the impact score. In conclusion, in survivors of severe COVID-19, the pulmonary function and symptoms improve over time, but impairments in their physical function and diffusion capacity can persist over months. Longer follow-up studies with larger cohorts will be necessary to comprehensively characterize long-term sequelae upon severe COVID-19 and to identify patients at risk.

Post-COVID syndrome in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19: a longitudinal prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: While the leading symptoms during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are acute and the majority of patients fully recover, a significant fraction of patients now increasingly experience long-term health consequences. However, most data available focus on health-related events after severe infection and hospitalisation. We present a longitudinal, prospective analysis of health consequences in patients who initially presented with no or minor symptoms of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Hence, we focus on mild COVID-19 in non-hospitalised patients. METHODS: 958 Patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection were observed from April 6th to December 2nd 2020 for long-term symptoms and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. We identified anosmia, ageusia, fatigue or shortness of breath as most common, persisting symptoms at month 4 and 7 and summarised presence of such long-term health consequences as post-COVID syndrome (PCS). Predictors of long-term symptoms were assessed using an uni- and multivariable logistic regression model. FINDINGS: We observed 442 and 353 patients over four and seven months after symptom onset, respectively. Four months post SARS-CoV-2 infection, 8•6% (38/442) of patients presented with shortness of breath, 12•4% (55/442) with anosmia, 11•1% (49/442) with ageusia and 9•7% (43/442) with fatigue. At least one of these characteristic symptoms was present in 27•8% (123/442) and 34•8% (123/353) at month 4 and 7 post-infection, respectively. A lower baseline level of SARS-CoV-2 IgG, anosmia and diarrhoea during acute COVID-19 were associated with higher risk to develop long-term symptoms. INTERPRETATION: The on-going presence of either shortness of breath, anosmia, ageusia or fatigue as long-lasting symptoms even in non-hospitalised patients was observed at four and seven months post-infection and summarised as post-COVID syndrome (PCS). The continued assessment of patients with PCS will become a major task to define and mitigate the socioeconomic and medical long-term effects of COVID-19. FUNDING: COVIM:"NaFoUniMedCovid19"(FKZ: 01KX2021).