Post-COVID-19 syndrome: persistent symptoms, functional impact, quality of life, return to work, and indirect costs – a prospective case study 12 months after COVID-19 infection

• Autor(a) principal: Shizuo Ida, Fernando
• Data de Publicação: 2024
• Outros Autores: Pereira Ferreira, Hebert, Karla Mendonça Vasconcelos, Ana, Aline Brito Furtado, Iris, Janaina Pinheiro Morais Fontenele, Cristina, Carlos Pereira, Antonio
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Texto Completo: https://cadernos.ensp.fiocruz.br/ojs/index.php/csp/article/view/8510
• topic: COVID-19; Estado Funcional; Qualidade de Vida; Custos e Análise de Custo; Absenteísmo; COVID-19; Estado Funcional; Calidad de Vida; Costos y Análisis de Costo; Absentismo; COVID-19; Functional Status; Quality of Life; Costs and Cost Analysis; Absenteeism

The persistent symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome negatively impact health, quality of life, and productivity. This study aimed to describe the persistent symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome (especially neurological ones) and their 12-month post-infection cognitive, emotional, motor, quality of life, and indirect cost repercussions. Patients showing the first symptoms of COVID-19 from January to June 2021 who developed post-COVID-19 syndrome and sought care at the Fortaleza unit (Ceará, Brazil) of the SARAH Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals were included in this study. Information was obtained at the baseline follow-up and by telephone interview 12 months post-infection. In total, 58 people participated in this study with an average age of 52.8±10.5 years, of which 60% required an ICU. The most frequent symptoms on admission included fatigue (64%), arthralgia (51%), and dyspnea (47%), whereas, after 12 months, fatigue (46%) and memory impairment (39%). The following scales/functional tests showed alterations: PCFS, MoCA, HAD, FSS, SF-36, TLS5x, timed up and go, 6-minute walk, and handgrip. Indirect costs totaled USD 227,821.00, with 11,653 days of absenteeism. Moreover, 32% of patients were unable to return to work. Better TLS5x and higher SF-36 scores in the functional capacity, physical functioning, vitality, and pain dimensions were associated with return to work (p ≤ 0.05). The most frequent persistent symptoms referred to fatigue, arthralgia, dyspnea, anxiety, and depression, which negatively affected cognitive, emotional, and motor function and quality of life. These symptoms lasted for over a year, especially fatigue and memory alteration, the latter of which being the most reported after COVID-19 infections. Results also show a significant difficulty returning to work and indirect costs of USD 4,847.25 per person/year.