UNRESOLVED SYMPTOMS IN ADULT POPULATION AFTER MILD SARS-COV2 INFECTIONS

Abstract

Introduction: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the past year and a half has become a worldwide pandemic. COVID-19
symptoms, severity and duration vary widely, with an increasing number of cases of unresolved and prolonged symptoms.
Objectives: This study aims to characterize unresolved symptoms of mild COVID-19 patients for a period of five months after disease onset, and potentially aid in disease management.
Methods: Seventy-five adult patients were involved in the study in the period October 2020- March 2021 in Eurofarm Centre Private Healthcare. Inclusion criteria required patients to be aged ≥18 years, with positive SARS-CoV2 PCR test results and nonsevere symptoms which did not require hospitalization. The onset, duration and resolution of symptoms were analysed.
Results: 74.7% (56/75), 69.3% (52/75), 66.7% (50/75) and 40.0% (30/75) of the patients experienced headache, fever, muscle
ache, or dry cough as covid symptom respectively. The majority of patients reported fatigue, 74.7% (56/75). Smell and taste changes were experienced 3.9 ± 2.4 and 4.6 ± 3.7 days (mean ± SD) after disease onset, respectively. Among prevalent symptoms, fever had the shortest duration (3.8 ± 1.6 days), and taste and smell changes were the longest-lasting symptoms (22.2 ± 17.6 and 26.9 ± 19.7 days). At the five-month follow-up, 62.6% (47/75) of the patients had at least one unresolved symptom, most commonly fatigue
(57.3%, 43/75), smell and taste changes (33.3%, 25/75 and 10.6%, 8/75 respectively), and breathing difficulties (10.6%, 8/75).
Conclusion: Persistent symptoms after mild COVID-19 infection manifested in over half of the participants reporting at least one unresolved symptom after five months.