The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, fueled by the quick spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has killed more than 6.52 million people worldwide. The introduction of SARS-CoV-2 variants due to genetic changes has expanded the outbreak. Some SARS-CoV-2 variations, such as the Omicron and Delta, are more transmissible and pathogenic than the parent strain.
Background
While most COVID-19 patients recover from acute infection, some experience chronic health issues connected to cognitive, physical, and psychological challenges, considerably reducing their quality of life; hence, frequent follow-ups of COVID-19 patients discharged from hospitals are essential. This research will aid in understanding the trajectory of symptom burden and long-term health implications connected to SARS-CoV-2 infection. A prior study indicated that COVID-19 patients who required intensive care unit (ICU) treatment continued to have physical, mental, or cognitive issues even one year after being discharged from the hospital— understanding the period of persistence of COVID–19–related symptoms. A recent JAMA Network Open research looked at the dynamic trajectory of COVID-19 symptom load and problem persistence in persons who survived SARS-CoV-2 infection and were released from hospitals two years later.
About the research
In this long-term cohort investigation, scientists obtained data on COVID-19 patients who survived and got discharged from the Taikang Tongji and Huoshenshan hospitals. All participants were questioned via telephone in the first and second years following their hospital release. Between March 1 to April 6, 2022, researchers conducted the second-year follow-up study. All participants completed a self-reported symptom survey and a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) assessment test in addition to the telephone interview (CAT). The patient’s symptoms got classified as having no difficulty, moderate, substantial, or severe issues. Patients had at least one persistent COVID-19 sign indicated by prolonged COVID.
Study findings
A total of 370 individuals, i.e., 19.8% of the study group, were confirmed to suffer from COVID-19 two years following their hospital discharge. 12.0% of the study sample had persistent symptoms, while 7.8% of patients suffered new-onset or worsening symptoms from a reported level of moderate symptoms at the first-year follow-up. The participants’ most prevalent symptoms were chest tightness, fatigue, dyspnea, myalgia, and anxiety. The majority of the symptoms vanished over time. Even if dyspnea lasted for longer, it diminished after one year. This conclusion followed other investigations that revealed a lessening symptom trend with time. This analysis showed that ICU admission increased the likelihood of symptom persistence.
Additionally, the onset of new symptoms got linked to COVID-19 infection in individuals with cerebrovascular disorders. 6.2% of persons got CAT scores of at least 10. The current analysis revealed a more significant chance of symptom persistence in recovered COVID-19 patients who needed ICU care throughout their hospital stay or had chronic liver disorders. Chronic liver sickness got revealed as a significant factor associated with the risk of symptom persistence. A CAT score of 10 indicates an increased chance of chronic COVID-19 symptoms.
Study limitations
The authors noted many limitations, including the lack of an age-matched and comorbidity-matched control group. Due to this restriction, the patients’ long-term symptoms of the acute illness could not be examined. The age distribution is crucial as it is considered an impact modulator of post-COVID-19 symptoms. The current study also utilized a self-reporting
symptom questionnaire instead of diagnostic techniques, which raises the likelihood of bias due to participants’ subjectivity. The number of symptoms assessed in this study was low, considering that more than a hundred COVID-19-related signs have been described. The development of SARS-CoV-2 variants has been endemic, which, in comparison to the data examined in the current investigation, may have had an impact on the virulence and long-term consequences.
Conclusions
The current longitudinal cohort investigation, which included COVID-19 survivors two years after being discharged from hospitals, indicated that the predominant symptoms that lingered for a long time were weariness, anxiety, chest tightness, dyspnea, and myalgia. Although most of these symptoms vanished, dyspnea remained to a decreased degree with time. Severely infected COVID-19 patients who required ICU hospitalization were at an enormous risk of symptom persistence. This study provides insights into the dynamic trajectory of health outcomes of COVID-19 survivors.
Author: Junaid Khan
