Persisting and New Onset Symptomatology and Determinants of Functional Limitation of Post Acute COVID-19 Syndrome Cases- A Study from a Northern District of Kerala.

Background: COVID-19 disease has a wide range of persisting and new onset clinical manifestations even long after the acute phase. This study was conducted to identify the persisting and new onset symptomatology of post-COVID-19 syndrome patients from clinics in urban and peri-urban Kozhikode, South India, as well as to grade their functional limitation; assess the determinants and predictors. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 938 subjects attending the post-COVID clinics. Symptom profile, functional assessment, and limitation grading were done using the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) scale. Statistical analyses were done using the SPSS ver.20. Results: Mean age was 41.50 ± 16.90 years. Fever, anosmia, dysgeusia, headache, and myalgia were the common acute COVID-19 symptoms (505,54%; 433,46.3%; 420,44.9%; 323,34.4%; 252,26.9%, respectively). Post-COVID-19, common persisting symptoms were myalgia (167,17.8%), fatigue (149,15.9%), dyspnea (113,12%), and headache (85,9.1%); the common new onset symptoms were shortness of breath and fatigue (228,24.3% and 220,23.4%, respectively). A total of 91 cases (9.7%) had post-COVID sleep disturbances; 16 (1.7%) had symptoms of anxiety and depressive thoughts. PCFS grading showed that 552 (63.8%) had negligible limitations (Grade I). Only one person had Grade IV limitation. Significant association (p < 0.05) was found between functional impairment grading by PCFS and age, gender, locality, type of family, duration of hospitalization, duration of unemployment following illness, source of infection, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Male gender, married status, CAD, and smoking had significant higher risks; urban locality and hospitalization decreased the risk. Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 cases have persistent and new onset symptoms and some degree of functional impairment post-COVID. Significant association was identified for various sociodemographic and clinical variables with the PCFS functional impairment grading.

Post-COVID-19 condition and persisting symptoms in English schoolchildren: repeated surveys to March 2022.

BACKGROUND: Both post-COVID-19 condition (long COVID) and the presence of persisting symptoms that do not meet formal definitions of post-COVID-19-condition may adversely affect quality of life and function. However, their prevalence among children and young people in England is unclear. METHODS: We used data from repeated surveys in a large cohort of English schoolchildren from the COVID-19 Schools Infection Survey (SIS) for the school year 2021/22 to describe the weighted prevalence of post-COVID-19-condition and compare persisting symptoms between individuals with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and those with neither a positive test history nor suspected infection. RESULTS: Among 7797 children from 173 schools, 1.8% of primary school pupils (aged 4 to 11 years), 4.5% of secondary school pupils in years 7-11 (aged 11 to 16 years) and 6.9% of those in years 12-13 (aged 16 to 18 years) met a definition of post-COVID-19 condition in March 2022. Specific persisting symptoms such as anxiety or difficulty concentrating were frequently reported regardless of prior infection status and increased with age: 48.0% of primary school pupils, 52.9% of secondary school pupils in years 7-11 and 79.5% in years 12-13 reporting at least one symptom lasting more than 12 weeks. Persisting loss of smell and taste, cardiovascular and some systemic symptoms were more frequently reported by those with a previous positive test. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that ongoing symptoms were frequently reported by English schoolchildren regardless of SARS-CoV-2 test results and some specific symptoms such as loss of smell and taste were more prevalent in those with a positive test history. Our study emphasises the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Association between Experimental Pain Measurements and the Central Sensitization Inventory in Patients at Least 3 Months after COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

Fatigue, pain, headache, brain fog, anosmia, ageusia, mood symptoms, and sleep disorders are symptoms commonly experienced by people with post-COVID-19 condition. These symptoms could be considered as manifestations of central sensitization. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether there are indicators of central sensitization by using experimental pain measurements and to determine their association with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). A cross-sectional study including 42 patients after COVID-19 infection was conducted. The central sensitization inventory (CSI) was administered as a PROM to evaluate central-sensitization-associated symptoms. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT), temporal summation, and descending nociceptive pain inhibition (CPM) were assessed as experimental pain measurements. The median score on the CSI was 46.5 (Q1-Q3: 33-54). The presence of central-sensitization-associated symptoms was seen in 64.3% of patients based on the CSI (≥40/100 points). A deficient CPM was seen in 12% and 14% of patients when measured at the trapezius and rectus femoris, respectively. A negative correlation between pressure sensitivity on the rectus femoris and the CSI score (r = -0.36, 95%CI -0.13 to -0.65, p = 0.007) was observed. Central-sensitization-associated symptoms were present in up to 64.3% of patients post-COVID-19 infection, based on a PROM, i.e., the CSI. A more objective evaluation of nociceptive processing through experimental pain measurements was less suggestive of indicators of central sensitization. Only a small negative correlation between pressure sensitivity and the CSI was observed, thereby pointing towards the discrepancy between the CSI and experimental pain measurements and presumably the complementary need for both to evaluate potential indicators of central sensitization in this population.

Persistent/Late Complications of COVID-19 in Affected Emergency Medical Technicians: A Case Series and Brief Literature Review

Background: The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of persistent/late complications after recovery from the acute phase of COVID-19 in emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Methods: This is a cross-sectional case-series study performed during the last quarter of 2020 in Tehran, Iran. All EMTs who had been diagnosed with COVID-19 were eligible. The researcher contacted the EMTs via telephone to determine any complications following their recovery. Those who suffered from any complication were referred to an internal specialist physician for a detailed history and physical examination. Based on the physician’s opinion, some paraclinical or clinical evaluations were requested to be performed. Results: Four hundred thirty-one confirmed cases and two deaths due to this disease were registered among the Tehran EMS center’s EMTs during the study period. Two hundred thirty-eight EMTs were contacted, and 22.7% of them had at least one persistent/late complication following recovery of the acute phase of COVID-19;of whom, 28 EMTs were visited by an internist and completed the tests. The final participants mentioned seventy-five persistent/late complications. Only one EMT had a residual lesion among those who underwent lung CT scans. There were also some pathological findings in the echocardiographic examination and spirometry. Conclusion: Our study showed that persistent/late-onset complications could likely accompany by COVID-19. © 2022 Bentham Science Publishers.

A cross-sectional study of persisting symptoms following 2 months post-COVID-19 and risk factors for delayed return to pre-COVID-19 health among patients attending a teaching hospital in Kerala.

Background: A large number of people are being discharged from the hospital following COVID-19 without assessment of recovery. Systematic follow-up identifies the physical and physiological burden which could be used to inform the need for rehabilitation and/or further investigations. Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study of sample size 103 who were tested positive by TruNAAT in the month of August to September 2020 was conducted, whose data were collected from the medical records. Phone call interviews were conducted 2 months post-COVID-19, after ethical and institutional permission, and they were asked for any persisting symptoms at this point and the risk factors were noted. Data were analysed using various statistical methods. Result: The most common symptoms at onset were fever (49.5%), cough (28.2%), sore throat (18.4%) and loss of smell (17.5%). The most common comorbidities noted were diabetes mellitus (30.1%), hypertension (14.6%) and heart disease (7.8%). The cases with more than 14 days for COVID-19 to be negative are almost the same in cases with comorbidities (11.1%) and no comorbidities (16.3%). Around 43.7% had post-COVID-19 symptoms. The most common post-COVID-19 symptoms noted were fatigue (28.2%), breathing difficulty (12.6%) and body pain (4.9%). The post_COVID_19 symptoms are significantly higher in cases who took treatment from hospital(moderate to severe cases) (54.4%) compared to the cases who took treatment at home (35.7%). Persisting breathing difficulty is significantly higher in cases with pre-COVID-19 asthma/COPD compared to the cases with no pre-COVID-19 asthma/COPD, which makes COPD and asthma patients to be considered high risk for post-COVID-19 sequelae. Conclusion: Follow-up of COVID-19 patients should become an essential part of family physician's clinical practice.

Prevalence of long COVID in a national cohort: longitudinal measures from disease onset until 8 months' follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: Persistence of COVID-19 symptoms in nonhospitalized individuals beyond a few months has not been well characterized. In this longitudinal study from the Faroe Islands, we present prevalence of long COVID in mainly nonhospitalized patients who were followed up for up to 8 months. METHODS: All Faroese individuals with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis from August to December 2020 were invited to participate in this study (n = 297). Demographic and clinical characteristics and self-reported symptoms were ascertained prospectively using a detailed questionnaire administered at repeated phone interviews. RESULTS: A total of 226 individuals participated at baseline (226/297, 76% participation rate), of whom 170 participants had more than 3 months follow-up. Of these, 39% (n = 67/170, 95% confidence interval [CI] 32-37%) reported persistent symptoms (median [range] 168 [93-231] days) after the acute phase and 8% (n = 14/170, 95% CI 5-13%) reported severe persistent symptoms. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (17%) and smell (17%) and taste (14%) dysfunction. Long COVID was more common in people reporting daily medication use (odds ratio 2.34, 95% CI 1.02-5.37). CONCLUSION: Our results show that symptoms may take months to resolve, even among nonhospitalized individuals, with a mild illness in the acute phase. Continued monitoring for long COVID is needed to evaluate the added risk of a potential public health concern.

Is Central Sensitisation the Missing Link of Persisting Symptoms after COVID-19 Infection?

Patients recovered from a COVID-19 infection often report vague symptoms of fatigue or dyspnoea, comparable to the manifestations in patients with central sensitisation. The hypothesis was that central sensitisation could be the underlying common aetiology in both patient populations. This study explored the presence of symptoms of central sensitisation, and the association with functional status and health-related quality of life, in patients post COVID-19 infection. Patients who were previously infected with COVID-19 filled out the Central Sensitisation Inventory (CSI), the Post-COVID-19 Functional Status (PCFS) Scale and the EuroQol with five dimensions, through an online survey. Eventually, 567 persons completed the survey. In total, 29.73% of the persons had a score of <40/100 on the CSI and 70.26% had a score of ≥40/100. Regarding functional status, 7.34% had no functional limitations, 9.13% had negligible functional limitations, 37.30% reported slight functional limitations, 42.86% indicated moderate functional limitations and 3.37% reported severe functional limitations. Based on a one-way ANOVA test, there was a significant effect of PCFS Scale group level on the total CSI score (F(4,486) = 46.17, p < 0.001). This survey indicated the presence of symptoms of central sensitisation in more than 70% of patients post COVID-19 infection, suggesting towards the need for patient education and multimodal rehabilitation, to target nociplastic pain.

Resilience, Psychological Well-Being and Daily Functioning Following Hospitalization for Respiratory Distress Due to SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected people's psychological well-being, and hospitalized patients could face an even greater risk of psychological distress. We aimed to study resilience in recovered COVID-19 patients after hospital discharge. We recruited 50 patients (38 males, aged 28-77) who were hospitalized for COVID-19 between March and April 2020. Participants underwent a psychological assessment 5 months after hospital discharge. We administered the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-25), Beck's Depression inventory-II (BDI-II), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y-form (STAI). We also evaluated the impact of persisting physical, behavioral, and cognitive symptoms on resilience. Patients reported low resilience in the months following hospital discharge (CD-RISC-25 score [mean ± SD] = 55.82 ± 20.76), compared to data from studies on the general population. Lower resilience was associated with mood disturbances in the months following clinical recovery (p = 0.005), persisting fatigue (p = 0.015), sleep changes (p = 0.046), and subjective cognitive complaints (p < 0.05). Recovered COVID-19 patients exhibit low resilience following hospital discharge, which affects psychological well-being. The presence of persisting symptoms following hospital discharge affects psychological resilience. Interventions tailored to increase resilience should be considered to improve quality of life for recovered COVID-19 patients.

Follow-up of adults with noncritical COVID-19 two months after symptom onset.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical evolution and predictors of symptom persistence during 2 months' follow-up in adults with noncritical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We performed descriptive clinical follow-up (day (D) 7, D30 and D60) of 150 patients with noncritical COVID-19 confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR at Tours University Hospital from 17 March to 3 June 2020, including demographic, clinical and laboratory data collected from the electronic medical records and by phone call. Persisting symptoms were defined by the presence at D30 or D60 of at least one of the following: weight loss ≥5%, severe dyspnoea or asthenia, chest pain, palpitations, anosmia/ageusia, headache, cutaneous signs, arthralgia, myalgia, digestive disorders, fever or sick leave. RESULTS: At D30, 68% (103/150) of patients had at least one symptom; and at D60, 66% (86/130) had symptoms, mainly anosmia/ageusia: 59% (89/150) at symptom onset, 28% (40/150) at D30 and 23% (29/130) at D60. Dyspnoea concerned 36.7% (55/150) patients at D30 and 30% (39/130) at D60. Half of the patients (74/150) at D30 and 40% (52/130) at D60 reported asthenia. Persistent symptoms at D60 were significantly associated with age 40 to 60 years old, hospital admission and abnormal auscultation at symptom onset. At D30, severe COVID-19 and/or dyspnoea at symptom onset were additional factors associated with persistent symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Up to 2 months after symptom onset, two thirds of adults with noncritical COVID-19 had complaints, mainly anosmia/ageusia, dyspnoea or asthenia. A prolonged medical follow-up of patients with COVID-19 seems essential, whatever the initial clinical presentation.

Hyperventilation: A Possible Explanation for Long-Lasting Exercise Intolerance in Mild COVID-19 Survivors?

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, most attention has focused on containing transmission and addressing the surge of critically ill patients in acute care settings. As we enter the second phase of the pandemic, emphasis must evolve to post-acute care of COVID-19 survivors. Persisting cardiorespiratory symptoms have been reported at several months after the onset of the infection. Information is lacking on the pathophysiology of exercise intolerance after COVID-19. Previous outbreaks of coronaviruses have been associated with persistent dyspnea, muscle weakness, fatigue and reduced quality of life. The extent of Covid-19 sequelae remains to be evaluated, but persisting cardiorespiratory symptoms in COVID-19 survivors can be described as two distinct entities. The first type of post-Covid symptoms are directly related to organ injury in the acute phase, or the complications of treatment. The second type of persisting symptoms can affect patients even with mild initial disease presentation without evidence of organ damage. The mechanisms are still poorly qualified to date. There is a lack of correlation between initial symptom severity and residual symptoms at exertion. We report exercise hyperventilation as a major limiting factor in COVID-19 survivors. The origin of this hyperventilation may be related to an abnormality of ventilatory control, by either hyperactivity of activator systems (automatic and cortical ventilatory control, peripheral afferents, and sensory cortex) or failure of inhibitory systems (endorphins) in the aftermath of pulmonary infection. Hyperventilation-induced hypocapnia can cause a multitude of extremely disabling symptoms such as dyspnea, tachycardia, chest pain, fatigue, dizziness and syncope at exertion.