Abstract

PREVALENCE OF POST-COVID SYNDROME AND ITS CORRELATION WITH COMORBIDITIES: A QUESTIONNAIREBASED STUDY

Ashly M. Reji*, Muhammed Faizel M.*, Jiya Thomas, Aneena Ancy Alex and Dr. Nasmi N.

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Abstract

Objective: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of persistent symptoms among the post-COVID patients and to find out the correlation between co-morbidities and the persistent symptoms. Materials and Methods: An online-based questionnaire study was conducted for a period of 6 months among 501 individuals of Kollam district, Kerala based on inclusion and exclusion criteria using a validated questionnaire containing socio-demographics, pre-COVID health status, COVID positive health status and post-COVID health status. The information compiled were assessed for the prevalence of post-COVID syndrome and its correlation with co-morbidities. Results: Among 501 individuals, the post - COVID syndrome was found in 476 individuals (95.01%). The most common post-COVID symptoms found were fatigue (88.82%), reduced exercise tolerance (75.84%), myalgia (68.26%), dyspnoea (56.48%), alopecia (48.30%), and the less common symptoms involved joint pain, headache, sore throat, back pain, and eye problems respectively. If an individual has any co-morbidity at the time of COVID infection, his or her most of the symptoms also exist after 45 days which shows the correlation between comorbidity and persistent symptoms. Conclusion: In this study, a relevant proportion of the participants suffered from the post-COVID syndrome. A significant population in the post-COVID state requires long-term follow-up for identification of higher-risk individuals and management of their post-COVID ailments. Our findings emphasize the need for the timely planning of resources and patient-centred services for post- COVID-19 care, with millions infected across the world.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, Post-COVID syndrome, co-morbidities, COVID-recovered individuals.