Persistent effects of COVID-19 in patients hospitalized during the first wave of the pandemic: The impact of persistent fatigue on quality of life in a cross-sectional study

COVID-19 can affect physical and mental health long after acute infection. In this descriptive study, 48 individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 between April and May 2020 were interviewed regarding their experience with COVID-19 after hospitalization. The mean age of participants was 51.1 (& PLUSMN;11.91) years (range 25-65 years) and 26 (54.2%) were men. Individuals had a mean of 1.2 (& PLUSMN;0.94) comorbidities associated with more severe COVID-19, with hypertension (37.5%) being most common. Nineteen (39.6%) individuals required treatment in the intensive care unit. Participants were interviewed a median time of 553 days (IQR, 405.5-589.0) after discharge from the hospital. Thirty-seven (77.1%) individuals had 5 or more persistent symptoms at time of interview with only 3 (6.3%) experiencing none. The most reported persistent symptoms were fatigue (79.2%), difficulty breathing (68.8%), and muscle weakness (60.4%). Poor quality of life was experienced by 39 (81.3%) participants and 8 (16.7%) had a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) score within the clinical range for diagnosis. For multivariable analyses, persistent fatigue was significantly predicted by number of symptoms during acute COVID-19 (t = 4.4, p < 0.001). Number of symptoms during acute COVID-19 was also significantly associated with persistent dyspnea (t = 3.4, p = 0.002). Higher scores on the Chalder fatigue scale after COVID-19 was significantly associated with poor quality of life (t = 2.6, p = 0.01) and PTSD symptomatology (t = 2.9, p = 0.008). More research is needed to highlight the wide range of resources those suffering from Long COVID require long after discharge.

Automated summary

This descriptive study interviewed 48 individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 between April and May 2020 to investigate their experience after hospitalization. It found that a majority of individuals had persistent symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty breathing, and muscle weakness after discharge. Poor quality of life and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology were also observed in some participants. Further research is needed to understand the resources required for long-term support of individuals with Long COVID after discharge.