Assessment of the Frequency and Variety of Persistent Symptoms Among Patients With COVID-19

Abstract

Key Points Question What are the frequency and variety of persistent symptoms after COVID-19 infection? Findings In this systematic review of 45 studies including 9751 participants with COVID-19, the median proportion of individuals who experienced at least 1 persistent symptom was 73%; symptoms occurring most frequently included shortness of breath or dyspnea, fatigue or exhaustion, and sleep disorders or insomnia. However, the studies were highly heterogeneous and needed longer follow-up and more standardized designs. Meaning This systematic review found that COVID-19 symptoms commonly persisted beyond the acute phase of infection, with implications for health-associated functioning and quality of life; however, methodological improvements are needed to reliably quantify these risks.

Prevalence of Symptoms More Than Seven Months After Diagnosis of Symptomatic COVID-19 in an Outpatient Setting

“…A meta-analysis of 15 studies on postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 showed that an estimated 80% of patients (aged 17 to 87 years) developed 1 or more long-term symptoms, with mostly fatigue, attention disorder, hair loss, and dyspnea being reported ( 13 ). Another meta-analysis recently showed the persistence of symptoms in 73% of persons, with varying follow-up times ( 14 ). A patient-led online survey found that several patients had persistent symptoms at 7 months, experiencing relapses with exercise, physical or mental activity, and stress ( 29 ); 45.2% of participants required a reduced work schedule compared with before their illness, and 22.3% were not working at the time of the survey because of their health conditions ( 29 ).…”

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures After Hospitalization During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Survey Among COVID-19 and Non-COVID-19 Patients

“…9 Some studies also suggest that symptoms may persist long after recovery and up to 6 months among some patients. 10 , 11 For example, Huang et al (2021) have reported that in a mean follow-up of 186 days 76% of the patients still suffered from at least one symptom, most commonly fatigue or muscle weakness, with a higher risk for patients with severe disease. 5 …”

Reflections on Communication Difficulties Related to Covid-19

“…Reviews on the topic are frequently made. Late May 2021 two reviews were made based on respectively 65 [8] and 194 [9] references. This illustrates that there are many publications on the topic.…”