What are the long-term symptoms and complications of COVID-19: a protocol for a living systematic review

Abstract

Although the majority of people with Covid-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and will recover fully, there is now increasing evidence that a significant proportion will experience persistent symptoms for months after the acute phase of the illness. These symptoms include, among others, fatigue, problems breathing, lack of smell and taste, headaches, and depression and anxiety. It is also clear the virus has lasting fluctuating multiorgan sequelae, including affecting not only the respiratory system but also the heart, liver, and nervous system. We present a protocol for a living systematic review that aims to synthesize the evidence on the prevalence and characteristics of post-acute COVID-19. The living systematic review will be updated regularly, approximately every 6 months, as new evidence emerges. We will include studies that follow up at least 100 people with Covid-19 at 12 or more weeks post Covid-19 onset, with no restrictions regarding country, setting, or language. We will use descriptive statistics and, for outcomes reported in two or more studies, we will use meta-analyses to estimate prevalence with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using the exact method. Heterogeneity between estimates will be assessed using the I2 statistic.Our findings will also be presented as infographics to facilitate transcription to lay audiences. Ultimately, we aim to support the work of policy makers, practitioners, and patients when planning rehabilitation for those recovering from Covid-19. The protocol has been registered with PROSPERO ( CRD42020211131, 25/09/2020).

Enhancing the management of long COVID in general practice: a scoping review

“…A considerable proportion of people with acute COVID-19 remain unwell beyond three weeks, although the exact prevalence of ongoing issues among post-COVID-19 patients has not yet been firmly established (1)(2)(3). Knowledge gaps regarding the prevalence of Long COVID are likely owing to several factors, perhaps notably the significant heterogeneity in Long COVID definitions to date (e.g., 'post-acute COVID-19', 'Chronic COVID-19', 'Ongoing symptomatic COVID-19', 'post-COVID-19 syndrome') (4,5), and the fact that Long COVID case recording practices are not commonly used within clinical settings, and certainly not to the same extent that acute-COVID-19 cases are (5)(6)(7)(8).…”

Duration of symptoms caused by COVID-19 in patients discharged from tertiary hospitals in Ceará

“…No Brasil, esforços do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) têm sido essenciais para a identificação de casos suspeitos, tratamento, recuperação e cuidados pós-COVID19. Sem as estratégias desempenhadas pelo SUS a proporção da doença poderia ter estendido com proporções mais graves no país 2,3 .…”

“…Diante da discussão abordada no estudo, surge o que podemos denominar de investigação pós-pandemia com foco nas sequelas e complicações causadas pelo Coronavírus. Essa tempestade sintomatológica refuta-se em incógnita pelo fato de os sinais surgirem em caráter leve, moderado ou grave conforme o acometimento de cada caso em específico 3 . Nessa premissa, as investigações pós-hospitalares ganham destaques na medida em que se constrói um novo panorama de cuidados direcionados aos possíveis prejudicados.…”

Burnout in hospital healthcare workers after the second COVID-19 wave: Job tenure as a potential protective factor

“…COVID-19 infection and mortality among healthcare workers followed that of the general population around the world, with 152,888 infections reported during the early phases of the pandemic ( Bandyopadhyay et al, 2020 ). COVID-19 infected individuals may experience long-lasting symptoms for several months after the acute phase of the disease that are not limited to the respiratory system and include, among others, fatigue, headaches, depression and anxiety ( Michelen et al, 2020 ). Post-mortem studies have found a high expression of the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) transmembrane receptor in the amygdala ( Lukiw et al, 2022 ) and the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in one or more brain regions including the amygdala ( Serrano et al, 2021 ).…”