Ninety days post-hospitalization evaluation of residual COVID-19 symptoms through a phone call check list

Symptoms and management of long COVID: A scoping review

AIM

This scoping review aims to describe published work on the symptoms and management of long COVID conditions.

BACKGROUND

Symptoms and management of COVID-19 have focused on the acute stage. However, long-term consequences have also been observed.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed based on the framework suggested by Arksey and O'Malley. We conducted a literature search to retrieve articles published from May 2020 to March 2021 in CINHAL, Cochrane library, Embase, PubMed and Web of science, including backward and forward citation tracking from the included articles. Among the 1880 articles retrieved, 34 articles met our criteria for review: 21 were related to symptom presentation and 13 to the management of long COVID.

RESULTS

Long COVID symptoms were described in 21 articles. Following COVID-19 treatment, hospitalised patients most frequently reported dyspnoea, followed by anosmia/ageusia, fatigue and cough, while non-hospitalised patients commonly reported cough, followed by fever and myalgia/arthralgia. Thirteen studies described management for long COVID: Focused on a multidisciplinary approach in seven articles, pulmonary rehabilitation in three articles, fatigue management in two articles and psychological therapy in one study.

CONCLUSION

People experience varied COVID-19 symptoms after treatment. However, guidelines on evidence-based, multidisciplinary management for long COVID conditions are limited in the literature. The COVID-19 pandemic may extend due to virus mutations; therefore, it is crucial to develop and disseminate evidence-based, multidisciplinary management guidelines.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

A rehabilitation care plan and community healthcare plans are necessary for COVID-19 patients before discharge. Remote programmes could facilitate the monitoring and screening of people with long COVID.

SARS-CoV-2 post-acute sequelae in previously hospitalised patients: systematic literature review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Many individuals hospitalised with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection experience post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), sometimes referred to as "long COVID". Our objective was to conduct a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to identify PASC-associated symptoms in previously hospitalised patients and determine the frequency and temporal nature of PASC.

METHODS

Searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library (2019-2021), World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform and reference lists were performed from November to December 2021. Articles were assessed by two reviewers against eligibility criteria and a risk of bias tool. Symptom data were synthesised by random effects meta-analyses.

RESULTS

Of 6942 records, 52 studies with at least 100 patients were analysed; ∼70% were Europe-based studies. Most data were from the first wave of the pandemic. PASC symptoms were analysed from 28 days after hospital discharge. At 1-4 months post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, the most frequent individual symptoms were fatigue (29.3% (95% CI 20.1-40.6%)) and dyspnoea (19.6% (95% CI 12.8-28.7%)). Many patients experienced at least one symptom at 4-8 months (73.1% (95% CI 44.2-90.3%)) and 8-12 months (75.0% (95% CI 56.4-87.4%)).

CONCLUSIONS

A wide spectrum of persistent PASC-associated symptoms were reported over the 1-year follow-up period in a significant proportion of participants. Further research is needed to better define PASC duration and determine whether factors such as disease severity, vaccination and treatments have an impact on PASC.

COVID-related dysphonia and persistent long-COVID voice sequelae: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Dysphonia is a common symptom due to the coronavirus disease of the 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Nonetheless, it is often underestimated for its impact on human's health. We conducted this first study to investigate the global prevalence of COVID-related dysphonia as well as related clinical factors during acute COVID-19 infection, and after a mid- to long-term follow-up following the recovery.

METHODS

Five electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, ScienceDirect, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were systematically searched for relevant articles until Dec, 2022, and the reference of the enrolled studies were also reviewed. Dysphonia prevalence during and after COVID-19 infection, and voice-related clinical factors were analyzed; the random-effects model was adopted for meta-analysis. The one-study-removal method was used for sensitivity analysis. Publication bias was determined with funnel plots and Egger's tests.

RESULTS

Twenty-one articles comprising 13,948 patients were identified. The weighted prevalence of COVID-related dysphonia during infection was 25.1 % (95 % CI: 14.9 to 39.0 %), and male was significantly associated with lower dysphonia prevalence (coefficients: -0.116, 95 % CI: -0.196 to -0.036; P = .004) during this period. Besides, after recovery, the weighted prevalence of COVID-related dysphonia declined to 17.1 % (95 % CI: 11.0 to 25.8 %). 20.1 % (95 % CI: 8.6 to 40.2 %) of the total patients experienced long-COVID dysphonia.

CONCLUSIONS

A quarter of the COVID-19 patients, especially female, suffered from voice impairment during infection, and approximately 70 % of these dysphonic patients kept experiencing long-lasting voice sequelae, which should be noticed by global physicians.

Fatigue outcomes following COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Fatigue is a pervasive clinical symptom in coronaviruses and may continue beyond the acute phase, lasting for several months or years. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to incorporate the current evidence for postinfection fatigue among survivors of SARS-CoV-2 and investigate associated factors.

METHODS

Embase, PsyINFO, Medline, CINAHL, CDSR, Open Grey, BioRxiv and MedRxiv were systematically searched from January 2019 to December 2021. Eligible records included all study designs in English. Outcomes were fatigue or vitality in adults with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 measured at >30 days post infection. Non-confirmed cases were excluded. JBI risk of bias was assessed by three reviewers. Random effects model was used for the pooled proportion with 95% CIs. A mixed effects meta-regression of 35 prospective articles calculated change in fatigue overtime. Subgroup analyses explored specific group characteristics of study methodology. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q and I2 statistic. Egger's tests for publication bias.

RESULTS

Database searches returned 14 262 records. Following deduplication and screening, 178 records were identified. 147 (n=48 466 participants) were included for the meta-analyses. Pooled prevalence was 41% (95% CI: 37% to 45%, k=147, I2=98%). Fatigue significantly reduced over time (-0.057, 95% CI: -107 to -0.008, k=35, I2=99.3%, p=0.05). A higher proportion of fatigue was found in studies using a valid scale (51%, 95% CI: 43% to 58%, k=36, I2=96.2%, p=0.004). No significant difference was found for fatigue by study design (p=0.272). Egger's test indicated publication bias for all analyses except valid scales. Quality assessments indicated 4% at low risk of bias, 78% at moderate risk and 18% at high risk. Frequently reported associations were female gender, age, physical functioning, breathlessness and psychological distress.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed that a significant proportion of survivors experienced fatigue following SARS-CoV-2 and their fatigue reduced overtime. Non-modifiable factors and psychological morbidity may contribute to ongoing fatigue and impede recovery.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020201247.

Prevalence, risk factors and treatments for post-COVID-19 breathlessness: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Persistent breathlessness >28 days after acute COVID-19 infection has been identified as a highly debilitating post-COVID symptom. However, the prevalence, risk factors, mechanisms and treatments for post-COVID breathlessness remain poorly understood. We systematically searched PubMed and Embase for relevant studies published from 1 January 2020 to 1 November 2021 (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42021285733) and included 119 eligible papers. Random-effects meta-analysis of 42 872 patients with COVID-19 reported in 102 papers found an overall prevalence of post-COVID breathlessness of 26% (95% CI 23-29) when measuring the presence/absence of the symptom, and 41% (95% CI 34-48) when using Medical Research Council (MRC)/modified MRC dyspnoea scale. The pooled prevalence decreased significantly from 1-6 months to 7-12 months post-infection. Post-COVID breathlessness was more common in those with severe/critical acute infection, those who were hospitalised and females, and was less likely to be reported by patients in Asia than those in Europe or North America. Multiple pathophysiological mechanisms have been proposed (including deconditioning, restrictive/obstructive airflow limitation, systemic inflammation, impaired mental health), but the body of evidence remains inconclusive. Seven cohort studies and one randomised controlled trial suggested rehabilitation exercises may reduce post-COVID breathlessness. There is an urgent need for mechanistic research and development of interventions for the prevention and treatment of post-COVID breathlessness.

Estimated Global Proportions of Individuals With Persistent Fatigue, Cognitive, and Respiratory Symptom Clusters Following Symptomatic COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021

Importance

Some individuals experience persistent symptoms after initial symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection (often referred to as Long COVID).

Objective

To estimate the proportion of males and females with COVID-19, younger or older than 20 years of age, who had Long COVID symptoms in 2020 and 2021 and their Long COVID symptom duration.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Bayesian meta-regression and pooling of 54 studies and 2 medical record databases with data for 1.2 million individuals (from 22 countries) who had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. Of the 54 studies, 44 were published and 10 were collaborating cohorts (conducted in Austria, the Faroe Islands, Germany, Iran, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the US). The participant data were derived from the 44 published studies (10 501 hospitalized individuals and 42 891 nonhospitalized individuals), the 10 collaborating cohort studies (10 526 and 1906), and the 2 US electronic medical record databases (250 928 and 846 046). Data collection spanned March 2020 to January 2022.

Exposures

Symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Proportion of individuals with at least 1 of the 3 self-reported Long COVID symptom clusters (persistent fatigue with bodily pain or mood swings; cognitive problems; or ongoing respiratory problems) 3 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection in 2020 and 2021, estimated separately for hospitalized and nonhospitalized individuals aged 20 years or older by sex and for both sexes of nonhospitalized individuals younger than 20 years of age.

Results

A total of 1.2 million individuals who had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection were included (mean age, 4-66 years; males, 26%-88%). In the modeled estimates, 6.2% (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 2.4%-13.3%) of individuals who had symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection experienced at least 1 of the 3 Long COVID symptom clusters in 2020 and 2021, including 3.2% (95% UI, 0.6%-10.0%) for persistent fatigue with bodily pain or mood swings, 3.7% (95% UI, 0.9%-9.6%) for ongoing respiratory problems, and 2.2% (95% UI, 0.3%-7.6%) for cognitive problems after adjusting for health status before COVID-19, comprising an estimated 51.0% (95% UI, 16.9%-92.4%), 60.4% (95% UI, 18.9%-89.1%), and 35.4% (95% UI, 9.4%-75.1%), respectively, of Long COVID cases. The Long COVID symptom clusters were more common in women aged 20 years or older (10.6% [95% UI, 4.3%-22.2%]) 3 months after symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection than in men aged 20 years or older (5.4% [95% UI, 2.2%-11.7%]). Both sexes younger than 20 years of age were estimated to be affected in 2.8% (95% UI, 0.9%-7.0%) of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections. The estimated mean Long COVID symptom cluster duration was 9.0 months (95% UI, 7.0-12.0 months) among hospitalized individuals and 4.0 months (95% UI, 3.6-4.6 months) among nonhospitalized individuals. Among individuals with Long COVID symptoms 3 months after symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, an estimated 15.1% (95% UI, 10.3%-21.1%) continued to experience symptoms at 12 months.

Conclusions and Relevance

This study presents modeled estimates of the proportion of individuals with at least 1 of 3 self-reported Long COVID symptom clusters (persistent fatigue with bodily pain or mood swings; cognitive problems; or ongoing respiratory problems) 3 months after symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Sequelae of COVID-19 among previously hospitalized patients up to 1 year after discharge: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Although complications and clinical symptoms of COVID-19 have been elucidated, the prevalence of long-term sequelae of COVID-19 is less clear in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients. This review and meta-analysis present the occurrence of different symptoms up to 1 year of follow-up for previously hospitalized patients.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review from PubMed and Web of Science using keywords such as "COVID-19", "SARS-CoV-2", "sequelae", "long-term effect" and included studies with at least 3-month of follow-up. Meta-analyses using random-effects models were performed to estimate the pooled prevalence for different sequelae. Subgroup analyses were conducted by different follow-up time, regions, age and ICU admission.

RESULTS

72 articles were included in the meta-analyses after screening 11,620 articles, identifying a total of 167 sequelae related to COVID-19 from 88,769 patients. Commonly reported sequelae included fatigue (27.5%, 95% CI 22.4-33.3%, range 1.5-84.9%), somnipathy (20.1%, 95% CI 14.7-26.9%, range 1.2-64.8%), anxiety (18.0%, 95% CI 13.8-23.1%, range 0.6-47.8%), dyspnea (15.5%, 95% CI 11.3-20.9%, range 0.8-58.4%), PTSD (14.6%, 95% CI 11.3-18.7%, range 1.2-32.0%), hypomnesia (13.4%, 95% CI 8.4-20.7%, range 0.6-53.8%), arthralgia (12.9%, 95% CI 8.4-19.2%, range 0.0-47.8%), depression (12.7%, 95% CI 9.3-17.2%, range 0.6-37.5%), alopecia (11.2%, 95% CI 6.9-17.6%, range 0.0-47.0%) over 3-13.2 months of follow-up. The prevalence of most symptoms reduced after > 9 months of follow-up, but fatigue and somnipathy persisted in 26.2% and 15.1%, respectively, of the patients over a year. COVID-19 patients from Asia reported a lower prevalence than those from other regions.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified a wide spectrum of COVID-19 sequelae in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients, with some symptoms persisting up to 1 year. Management and rehabilitation strategies targeting these symptoms may improve quality of life of recovered patients.

Gastrointestinal manifestations of long COVID: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 are an important concern due to the large numbers affected by the pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

To ascertain the frequency of gastrointestinal (GI) manifestations as part of long GI COVID.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting GI manifestations in long COVID was performed.

DATA SOURCES AND METHODS

Electronic databases (Medline, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science) were searched till 21 December 2021 to identify studies reporting frequency of GI symptoms in long COVID. We included studies reporting overall GI manifestations or individual GI symptoms as part of long COVID. We excluded pediatric studies and those not providing relevant information. We calculated the pooled frequency of various symptoms in all patients with COVID-19 and also in those with long COVID using the inverse variance approach. All analysis was done using R version 4.1.1 using packages 'meta' and 'metafor'.

RESULTS

A total of 50 studies were included. The frequencies of GI symptoms were 0.12 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.06-0.22, I ² = 99%] and 0.22 (95% CI, 0.10-0.41, I ² = 97%) in patients with COVID-19 and those with long COVID, respectively. The frequencies of abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, and loss of taste were 0.14 (95% CI, 0.04-0.38, I ² = 96%), 0.06 (95% CI, 0.03-0.11, I ² = 98%), 0.20 (95% CI, 0.08-0.43, I ² = 98%), and 0.17 (95% CI, 0.10-0.27, I ² = 95%), respectively, after COVID-19. The frequencies of diarrhea, dyspepsia, and irritable bowel syndrome were 0.10 (95% CI, 0.04-0.23, I ² = 98%), 0.20 (95% CI, 0.06-0.50, I ² = 97%), and 0.17 (95% CI, 0.06-0.37, I ² = 96%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

GI symptoms in patients were seen in 12% after COVID-19 and 22% as part of long COVID. Loss of appetite, dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome, loss of taste, and abdominal pain were the five most common GI symptoms of long COVID. Significant heterogeneity and small number of studies for some of the analyses are limitations of the systematic review.

A global systematic analysis of the occurrence, severity, and recovery pattern of long COVID in 2020 and 2021

Importance:

While much of the attention on the COVID-19 pandemic was directed at the daily counts of cases and those with serious disease overwhelming health services, increasingly, reports have appeared of people who experience debilitating symptoms after the initial infection. This is popularly known as long COVID.

Objective:

To estimate by country and territory of the number of patients affected by long COVID in 2020 and 2021, the severity of their symptoms and expected pattern of recovery

Design:

We jointly analyzed ten ongoing cohort studies in ten countries for the occurrence of three major symptom clusters of long COVID among representative COVID cases. The defining symptoms of the three clusters (fatigue, cognitive problems, and shortness of breath) are explicitly mentioned in the WHO clinical case definition. For incidence of long COVID, we adopted the minimum duration after infection of three months from the WHO case definition. We pooled data from the contributing studies, two large medical record databases in the United States, and findings from 44 published studies using a Bayesian meta-regression tool. We separately estimated occurrence and pattern of recovery in patients with milder acute infections and those hospitalized. We estimated the incidence and prevalence of long COVID globally and by country in 2020 and 2021 as well as the severity-weighted prevalence using disability weights from the Global Burden of Disease study.

Results:

Analyses are based on detailed information for 1906 community infections and 10526 hospitalized patients from the ten collaborating cohorts, three of which included children. We added published data on 37262 community infections and 9540 hospitalized patients as well as ICD-coded medical record data concerning 1.3 million infections. Globally, in 2020 and 2021, 144.7 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 54.8–312.9) people suffered from any of the three symptom clusters of long COVID. This corresponds to 3.69% (1.38–7.96) of all infections. The fatigue, respiratory, and cognitive clusters occurred in 51.0% (16.9–92.4), 60.4% (18.9–89.1), and 35.4% (9.4–75.1) of long COVID cases, respectively. Those with milder acute COVID-19 cases had a quicker estimated recovery (median duration 3.99 months [IQR 3.84–4.20]) than those admitted for the acute infection (median duration 8.84 months [IQR 8.10–9.78]). At twelve months, 15.1% (10.3–21.1) continued to experience long COVID symptoms.

Conclusions and relevance:

The occurrence of debilitating ongoing symptoms of COVID-19 is common. Knowing how many people are affected, and for how long, is important to plan for rehabilitative services and support to return to social activities, places of learning, and the workplace when symptoms start to wane.

Prevalence of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome symptoms at different follow-up periods: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Post-acute coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome is now recognized as a complex systemic disease that is associated with substantial morbidity.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the prevalence of persistent symptoms and signs at least 12 weeks after acute COVID-19 at different follow-up periods.

DATA SOURCES

Searches were conducted up to October 2021 in Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline, and PubMed.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS

Articles in English that reported the prevalence of persistent symptoms among individuals with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and included at least 50 patients with a follow-up of at least 12 weeks after acute illness.

METHODS

Random-effect meta-analysis was performed to produce a pooled prevalence for each symptom at four different follow-up time intervals. Between-study heterogeneity was evaluated using the I2 statistic and was explored via meta-regression, considering several a priori study-level variables. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for prevalence studies and comparative studies, respectively.

RESULTS

After screening 3209 studies, a total of 63 studies were eligible, with a total COVID-19 population of 257 348. The most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue, dyspnea, sleep disorder, and difficulty concentrating (32%, 25%, 24%, and 22%, respectively, at 3- to <6-month follow-up); effort intolerance, fatigue, sleep disorder, and dyspnea (45%, 36%, 29%, and 25%, respectively, at 6- to <9-month follow-up); fatigue (37%) and dyspnea (21%) at 9 to <12 months; and fatigue, dyspnea, sleep disorder, and myalgia (41%, 31%, 30%, and 22%, respectively, at >12-month follow-up). There was substantial between-study heterogeneity for all reported symptom prevalences. Meta-regressions identified statistically significant effect modifiers: world region, male sex, diabetes mellitus, disease severity, and overall study quality score. Five of six studies including a comparator group consisting of COVID-19-negative cases observed significant adjusted associations between COVID-19 and several long-term symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review found that a large proportion of patients experience post-acute COVID-19 syndrome 3 to 12 months after recovery from the acute phase of COVID-19. However, available studies of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome are highly heterogeneous. Future studies need to have appropriate comparator groups, standardized symptom definitions and measurements, and longer follow-up.

Cardio-Pulmonary Dysfunction Evaluation in Patients with Persistent Post-COVID-19 Headache

Background (1): Headache is a prevalent symptom experienced during ongoing SARS-CoV-2 infection, but also weeks after recovery. Whether cardio-pulmonary dysfunction contributes causally to headache persistence is unknown. Methods (2): We conducted a case-control analysis nested in a prospective cohort study. Individuals were recruited from August 2020 to December 2020. Patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of long-COVID headache for three months after COVID-19 resolution. We compared demographic data, clinical variables, cardio-pulmonary laboratory biomarkers, quality of life, and cardio-pulmonary function between groups. Results (3): A cohort of 70 COVID-19 patients was evaluated. Patients with headaches (n = 10; 14.3%) were more frequently female (100% vs. 58.4%; p = 0.011) and younger (46.9 ± 8.45 vs. 56.13 ± 12 years; p = 0.023). No between-group differences in laboratory analysis, resting echocardiography, cardio-pulmonary exercise test, or pulmonary function tests were observed. Conclusion (4): In this exploratory study, no significant differences in cardio-pulmonary dysfunction were observed between patients with and without long-COVID headache during mid-term follow-up.

Fatigue and cognitive impairment in Post-COVID-19 Syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IMPORTANCE

COVID-19 is associated with clinically significant symptoms despite resolution of the acute infection (i.e., post-COVID-19 syndrome). Fatigue and cognitive impairment are amongst the most common and debilitating symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the proportion of individuals experiencing fatigue and cognitive impairment 12 or more weeks following COVID-19 diagnosis, and to characterize the inflammatory correlates and functional consequences of post-COVID-19 syndrome.

DATA SOURCES

Systematic searches were conducted without language restrictions from database inception to June 8, 2021 on PubMed/MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, PsycInfo, Embase, Web of Science, Google/Google Scholar, and select reference lists.

STUDY SELECTION

Primary research articles which evaluated individuals at least 12 weeks after confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis and specifically reported on fatigue, cognitive impairment, inflammatory parameters, and/or functional outcomes were selected.

DATA EXTRACTION & SYNTHESIS

Two reviewers independently extracted published summary data and assessed methodological quality and risk of bias. A meta-analysis of proportions was conducted to pool Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformed proportions using the random-effects restricted maximum-likelihood model.

MAIN OUTCOMES & MEASURES

The co-primary outcomes were the proportions of individuals reporting fatigue and cognitive impairment, respectively, 12 or more weeks following COVID-19 infection. The secondary outcomes were inflammatory correlates and functional consequences associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome.

RESULTS

The literature search yielded 10,979 studies, and 81 studies were selected for inclusion. The fatigue meta-analysis comprised 68 studies, the cognitive impairment meta-analysis comprised 43 studies, and 48 studies were included in the narrative synthesis. Meta-analysis revealed that the proportion of individuals experiencing fatigue 12 or more weeks following COVID-19 diagnosis was 0.32 (95% CI, 0.27, 0.37; p < 0.001; n = 25,268; I² = 99.1%). The proportion of individuals exhibiting cognitive impairment was 0.22 (95% CI, 0.17, 0.28; p < 0.001; n = 13,232; I² = 98.0). Moreover, narrative synthesis revealed elevations in proinflammatory markers and considerable functional impairment in a subset of individuals.

CONCLUSIONS & RELEVANCE

A significant proportion of individuals experience persistent fatigue and/or cognitive impairment following resolution of acute COVID-19. The frequency and debilitating nature of the foregoing symptoms provides the impetus to characterize the underlying neurobiological substrates and how to best treat these phenomena.

STUDY REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42021256965).

ESCMID rapid guidelines for assessment and management of long COVID

Scope

The aim of these guidelines is to provide evidence-based recommendations for the assessment and management of individuals with persistent symptoms after acute COVID-19 infection and to provide a definition for this entity, termed ‘long COVID’.

Methods

We performed a search of the literature on studies addressing epidemiology, symptoms, assessment, and treatment of long COVID. The recommendations were grouped by these headings and by organ systems for assessment and treatment. An expert opinion definition of long COVID is provided. Symptoms were reviewed by a search of the available literature. For assessment recommendations, we aimed to perform a diagnostic meta-analysis, but no studies provided relevant results. For treatment recommendations we performed a systematic review of the literature in accordance with the PRISMA statement. We aimed to evaluate patient-related outcomes, including quality of life, return to baseline physical activity, and return to work. Quality assessment of studies included in the systematic review is provided according to study design.

Recommendations

Evidence was insufficient to provide any recommendation other than conditional guidance. The panel recommends considering routine blood tests, chest imaging, and pulmonary functions tests for patients with persistent respiratory symptoms at 3 months. Other tests should be performed mainly to exclude other conditions according to symptoms. For management, no evidence-based recommendations could be provided. Physical and respiratory rehabilitation should be considered. On the basis of limited evidence, the panel suggests designing high-quality prospective clinical studies/trials, including a control group, to further evaluate the assessment and management of individuals with persistent symptoms of COVID-19.

Post-COVID-19 persistent headache: A multicentric 9-months follow-up study of 905 patients

BACKGROUND

Headache is a frequent symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Its long-term evolution remains unknown. We aim to evaluate the long-term duration of headache in patients that presented headache during the acute phase of COVID-19.

METHODS

This is a post-hoc multicenter ambisective study including patients from six different third-level hospitals between 1 March and 27 April 2020. Patients completed 9 months of neurological follow-up.

RESULTS

We included 905 patients. Their median age was 51 (IQR 45-65), 66.5% were female, and 52.7% had a prior history of primary headache. The median duration of headache was 14 (6-39) days; however, the headache persisted after 3 months in 19.0% (95% CI: 16.5-21.8%) and after 9 months in 16.0% (95% confidence interval: 13.7-18.7%). Headache intensity during the acute phase was associated with a more prolonged duration of headache (Hazard ratio 0.655; 95% confidence interval: 0.582-0.737).

CONCLUSION

The median duration of headache was 2 weeks, but in approximately a fifth of patients it became persistent and followed a chronic daily pattern.

Hospital readmissions and post-discharge all-cause mortality in COVID-19 recovered patients; A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of one-year hospital readmissions and post-discharge all-cause mortality in recovered COVID-19 patients. Moreover, the country-level prevalence of the outcomes was investigated.

METHODS

An extensive search was performed in Medline (PubMed), Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases until the end of August 3rd, 2021. A manual search was also performed in Google and Google Scholar search engines. Cohort and cross-sectional studies were included. Two independent reviewers screened the papers, collected data, and assessed the risk of bias and level of evidence. Any disagreement was resolved through discussion.

RESULTS

91 articles were included. 48 studies examined hospital readmissions; nine studies assessed post-discharge all-cause mortality, and 34 studies examined both outcomes. Analyses showed that the prevalence of hospital readmissions during the first 30 days, 90 days, and one-year post-discharge were 8.97% (95% CI: 7.44, 10.50), 9.79% (95% CI: 8.37, 11.24), and 10.34% (95% CI: 8.92, 11.77), respectively. The prevalence of post-discharge all-cause mortality during the 30 days, 90 days and one-year post-discharge was 7.87% (95% CI: 2.78, 12.96), 7.63% (95% CI: 4.73, 10.53) and 7.51% (95% CI, 5.30, 9.72), respectively. 30-day hospital readmissions and post-discharge mortality were 8.97% and 7.87%, respectively. The highest prevalence of hospital readmissions was observed in Germany (15.5%), Greece (15.5%), UK (13.5%), Netherlands (11.7%), China (10.8%), USA (10.0%) and Sweden (9.9%). In addition, the highest prevalence of post-discharge all-cause mortality belonged to Italy (12.7%), the UK (11.8%), and Iran (9.2%). Sensitivity analysis showed that the prevalence of one-year hospital readmissions and post-discharge all-cause mortality in high-quality studies were 10.38% and 4.00%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

10.34% of recovered COVID-19 patients required hospital readmissions after discharge. Most cases of hospital readmissions and mortality appear to occur within 30 days after discharge. The one-year post-discharge all-cause mortality rate of COVID-19 patients is 7.87%, and the majority of patients' readmission and mortality happens within the first 30 days post-discharge. Therefore, a 30-day follow-up program and patient tracking system for discharged COVID-19 patients seems necessary.

Frequency, signs and symptoms, and criteria adopted for long COVID-19: A systematic review

AIMS

To identify, systematically evaluate and summarise the best available evidence on the frequency of long COVID-19 (post-acute COVID-19 syndrome), its clinical manifestations, and the criteria used for diagnosis.

METHODS

Systematic review conducted with a comprehensive search including formal databases, COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 data sources, grey literature, and manual search. We considered for inclusion clinical trials, observational longitudinal comparative and non-comparative studies, cross-sectional, before-and-after, and case series. We assessed the methodological quality by specific tools based on the study designs. We presented the results as a narrative synthesis regarding the frequency and duration of long COVID-19, signs and symptoms, criteria used for diagnosis, and potential risk factors.

RESULTS

We included 25 observational studies with moderate to high methodological quality, considering 5440 participants. The frequency of long COVID-19 ranged from 4.7% to 80%, and the most prevalent signs/symptoms were chest pain (up to 89%), fatigue (up to 65%), dyspnea (up to 61%), and cough and sputum production (up to 59%). Temporal criteria used to define long COVID-19 varied from 3 to 24 weeks after acute phase or hospital discharge. Potentially associated risk factors were old age, female sex, severe clinical status, a high number of comorbidities, hospital admission, and oxygen supplementation at the acute phase. However, limitations related to study designs added uncertainty to this finding. None of the studies assessed the duration of signs/symptoms.

CONCLUSION

The frequency of long COVID-19 reached up to 80% over the studies included and occurred between 3 and 24 weeks after acute phase or hospital discharge. Chest pain, fatigue, dyspnea, and cough were the most reported clinical manifestations attributed to the condition. Based on these systematic review findings, there is an urgent need to understand this emerging, complex and challenging medical condition. Proposals for diagnostic criteria and standard terminology are welcome.

Prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms in hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Single studies support the presence of several post-COVID-19 symptoms; however, no meta-analysis differentiating hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients has been published to date. This meta-analysis analyses the prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients recovered from COVID-19 .

METHODS

MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, as well as medRxiv and bioRxiv preprint servers were searched up to March 15, 2021. Peer-reviewed studies or preprints reporting data on post-COVID-19 symptoms collected by personal, telephonic or electronic interview were included. Methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. We used a random-effects models for meta-analytical pooled prevalence of each post-COVID-19 symptom, and I² statistics for heterogeneity. Data synthesis was categorized at 30, 60, and ≥90 days after .

RESULTS

From 15,577 studies identified, 29 peer-reviewed studies and 4 preprints met inclusion criteria. The sample included 15,244 hospitalized and 9011 non-hospitalized patients. The methodological quality of most studies was fair. The results showed that 63.2, 71.9 and 45.9% of the sample exhibited ≥one post-COVID-19 symptom at 30, 60, or ≥90days after onset/hospitalization. Fatigue and dyspnea were the most prevalent symptoms with a pooled prevalence ranging from 35 to 60% depending on the follow-up. Other post-COVID-19 symptoms included cough (20-25%), anosmia (10-20%), ageusia (15-20%) or joint pain (15-20%). Time trend analysis revealed a decreased prevalence 30days after with an increase after 60days .

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis shows that post-COVID-19 symptoms are present in more than 60% of patients infected by SARS-CoV‑2. Fatigue and dyspnea were the most prevalent post-COVID-19 symptoms, particularly 60 and ≥90 days after.

Time course prevalence of post-COVID pain symptoms of musculoskeletal origin in patients who had survived to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT

The aim of this review or meta-analysis is to synthesize the prevalence of post-coronavirus disease (COVID) pain symptoms of musculoskeletal origin in hospitalized or nonhospitalized patients recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, as well as medRxiv and bioRxiv preprint servers were searched up to May 1, 2021. Studies or preprints reporting data on post-COVID pain symptoms such as myalgias, arthralgias, or chest pain after SARS-CoV-2 infection and collected by personal, telephonic, or electronical interview were included. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Random-effects models were used for meta-analytical pooled prevalence of each post-COVID musculoskeletal pain symptom. Data synthesis was categorized at onset or hospital admission and at 30, 60, and 90, and ≥180 days after. From a total of 12,123 studies identified, 27 peer-reviewed studies and 6 preprints were included. The sample included 14,639 hospitalized and 11,070 nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients. The methodological quality of almost 70% studies was fair. The overall prevalence of post-COVID myalgia, joint pain, and chest pain ranged from 5.65% to 18.15%, 4.6% to 12.1%, and 7.8% to 23.6%, respectively, at different follow-up periods during the first year postinfection. Time trend analysis showed a decrease prevalence of musculoskeletal post-COVID pain from the symptom's onset to 30 days after, an increase 60 days after, but with a second decrease ≥180 days after. This meta-analysis has shown that almost 10% of individuals infected by SARS-CoV-2 will suffer from musculoskeletal post-COVID pain symptomatology at some time during the first year after the infection.

Follow-Ups on Persistent Symptoms and Pulmonary Function Among Post-Acute COVID-19 Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective: As the number of recovering COVID-19 patients increases worldwide, the persistence of symptoms and signs through the post-acute phase indicates an urgent need for prolonged follow-up care. To explore existing data about post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, this meta-analysis assesses the prevalence of persistent manifestations in multiple systems and abnormalities in lung function, as well as their related risks in patients with various severities.

Methods: Articles about discharged COVID-19 patients (published from January 1, 2020 to February 23, 2021) were obtained by searching four databases. Cohort studies with follow-up periods >1 month post-discharge or >2 months post-admission were included.

Results: A total of 4,478 COVID-19 patients from 16 cohort studies were included in this meta-analysis. Fatigue or weakness (47%) were the most prevalent physical effects of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, while psychosocial (28%) symptoms were the most common manifestations among several systems. Abnormalities in lung function of recovering patients, i.e., DLCO <80% (47%, 95% CI: 32–61%) persisted for long periods. Severe patients were more likely to present joint pain (OR 1.84, 95% CI: 1.11–3.04) and decreased lung functions compared with non-severe patients, with pooled ORs for abnormal TLC, FEV1, FVC, and DLCO of 3.05 (95% CI: 1.88–4.96), 2.72 (95% CI: 1.31–5.63), 2.52 (95% CI: 1.28–4.98), and 1.82 (95% CI: 1.32–2.50), respectively.

Conclusions: Our research indicates that patients recovering from COVID-19 manifest long-term, multi-system symptoms, and the adverse effects on psychosocial health and lung functions were the most extensive and persistent. These findings together may facilitate much needed in-depth study of clinical treatments for long-term, post-acute phase symptoms that affect a great number of recovering COVID-19 patients.

Characterising long COVID: a living systematic review

BACKGROUND

While it is now apparent clinical sequelae (long COVID) may persist after acute COVID-19, their nature, frequency and aetiology are poorly characterised. This study aims to regularly synthesise evidence on long COVID characteristics, to help inform clinical management, rehabilitation strategies and interventional studies to improve long-term outcomes.

METHODS

A living systematic review. Medline, CINAHL (EBSCO), Global Health (Ovid), WHO Global Research on COVID-19 database, LitCovid and Google Scholar were searched till 17 March 2021. Studies including at least 100 people with confirmed or clinically suspected COVID-19 at 12 weeks or more post onset were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the tool produced by Hoy et al. Results were analysed using descriptive statistics and meta-analyses to estimate prevalence.

RESULTS

A total of 39 studies were included: 32 cohort, 6 cross-sectional and 1 case-control. Most showed high or moderate risk of bias. None were set in low-income countries and few included children. Studies reported on 10 951 people (48% female) in 12 countries. Most included previously hospitalised people (78%, 8520/10 951). The longest mean follow-up time was 221.7 (SD: 10.9) days post COVID-19 onset. Over 60 physical and psychological signs and symptoms with wide prevalence were reported, most commonly weakness (41%; 95% CI 25% to 59%), general malaise (33%; 95% CI 15% to 57%), fatigue (31%; 95% CI 24% to 39%), concentration impairment (26%; 95% CI 21% to 32%) and breathlessness (25%; 95% CI 18% to 34%). 37% (95% CI 18% to 60%) of patients reported reduced quality of life; 26% (10/39) of studies presented evidence of reduced pulmonary function.

CONCLUSION

Long COVID is a complex condition with prolonged heterogeneous symptoms. The nature of studies precludes a precise case definition or risk evaluation. There is an urgent need for prospective, robust, standardised, controlled studies into aetiology, risk factors and biomarkers to characterise long COVID in different at-risk populations and settings.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020211131.