Long-Term Clinical Consequences of Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19 Infection

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019, putatively caused by infection with severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2, often involves injury to multiple organs and there are limited data regarding the mid- to long-term consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 after discharge from the hospital. The study aimed to describe the mid- to long-term consequences of coronavirus disease 2019 in hospitalized patients after discharge. Methods: This single-center, prospective study enrolled coronavirus disease 2019 patients who were discharged uneventfully from our center. All participants underwent face-to-face interviews by trained physicians and were asked to complete a series of questionnaires on third and sixth months' follow-up visits. Results: A total of 406 consecutive discharged coronavirus disease 2019 patients were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to World Health Organization classification as follows: World Health Organization-3 (n=83); World Health Organization-4 (n=291); and World Health Organization-5,6 (n =32). Length of hospital stay was highly, significantly increased in the higher World Health Organization groups (World Health Organization-3 vs. World Health Organization-4, P < .0001; World Health Organization-3 vs. World Health Organization-5,6, P < .0001; World Health Organization-4 vs. World Health Organization-5,6, P < .0001), whereas the length of intensive care unit stay was highly, significantly increased only in World Health Organization-5,6 group compared to other groups (World Health Organization-3 vs. World Health Organization-5,6, P < .0001; World Health Organization-4 vs. World Health Organization-5,6, P < .0001). The most frequent complaints were chest pain (39%), and the frequency of complaints decreased during the 3-6 months follow-up period. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that age, coronary artery disease, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein, troponin I, D-dimer, use of steroid and/or low molecular weight heparin, and World Health Organization class were found to be independent predictors of ongoing cardiovascular symptoms. Conclusions: The current data demonstrated that persistent symptoms were common after coronavirus disease 2019 among hospitalized patients. This should raise awareness among healthcare professionals regarding coronavirus disease 2019 aftercare.

Automated summary

This study aimed to describe the mid- to long-term consequences of COVID-19 in hospitalized patients after discharge. The study found that persistent symptoms were common among discharged COVID-19 patients, particularly cardiovascular symptoms. Therefore, healthcare professionals should be aware of the aftercare for COVID-19 patients.