Long COVID-19 Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review of Its Effect on Various Organ Systems and Recommendation on Rehabilitation Plans

Lessons we learned during the past four challenging years in the COVID-19 era: pharmacotherapy, long COVID complications, and vaccine development

About four years have passed since the detection of the first cases of COVID-19 in China. During this lethal pandemic, millions of people have lost their lives around the world. Since the first waves of COVID-19 infection, various pharmacotherapeutic agents have been examined in the management of COVID-19. Despite all these efforts in pharmacotherapy, drug repurposing, and design and development of new drugs, multiple organ involvement and various complications occurred during COVID-19. Some of these complications became chronic and long-lasting which led to the "long COVID" syndrome appearance. Therefore, the best way to eradicate this pandemic is prophylaxis through mass vaccination. In this regard, various vaccine platforms including inactivated vaccines, nucleic acid-based vaccines (mRNA and DNA vaccines), adenovirus-vectored vaccines, and protein-based subunit vaccines have been designed and developed to prevent or reduce COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and mortality rates. In this focused review, at first, the most commonly reported clinical presentations of COVID-19 during these four years have been summarized. In addition, different therapeutic regimens and their latest status in COVID-19 management have been listed. Furthermore, the "long COVID" and related signs, symptoms, and complications have been mentioned. At the end, the effectiveness of available COVID-19 vaccines with different platforms against early SARS-CoV-2 variants and currently circulating variants of interest (VOI) and the necessity of booster vaccine shots have been summarized and discussed in more detail.

Mechanistic insights and emerging therapeutic stratagems for Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer's disease (AD), a multi-factorial neurodegenerative disorder has affected over 30 million individuals globally and these numbers are expected to increase in the coming decades. Current therapeutic interventions are largely ineffective as they focus on a single target. Development of an effective drug therapy requires a deep understanding of the various factors influencing the onset and progression of the disease. Aging and genetic factors exert a major influence on the development of AD. Other factors like post-viral infections, iron overload, gut dysbiosis, and vascular dysfunction also exacerbate the onset and progression of AD. Further, post-translational modifications in tau, DRP1, CREB, and p65 proteins increase the disease severity through triggering mitochondrial dysfunction, synaptic loss, and differential interaction of amyloid beta with different receptors leading to impaired intracellular signalling. With advancements in neuroscience tools, new inter-relations that aggravate AD are being discovered including pre-existing diseases and exposure to other pathogens. Simultaneously, new therapeutic strategies involving modulation of gene expression through targeted delivery or modulation with light, harnessing the immune response to promote clearance of amyloid deposits, introduction of stem cells and extracellular vesicles to replace the destroyed neurons, exploring new therapeutic molecules from plant, marine and biological sources delivered in the free state or through nanoparticles and use of non-pharmacological interventions like music, transcranial stimulation and yoga. Polypharmacology approaches involving combination of therapeutic agents are also under active investigation for superior therapeutic outcomes. This review elaborates on various disease-causing factors, their underlying mechanisms, the inter-play between different disease-causing players, and emerging therapeutic options including those under clinical trials, for treatment of AD. The challenges involved in AD therapy and the way forward have also been discussed.

Biosound Therapy as a treatment for long COVID patients: A pre-post pilot study

BACKGROUND

43 % of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 will experience persistent symptoms, also known as "long COVID," which lasts past the recovery of the acute infection. Long COVID symptoms overlap with symptoms that the Biosound Therapy System (BTS) has been shown to improve. The BTS is a multimodal treatment that includes biofeedback, vibroacoustic therapy synchronized with music that plays binaural beats, and video content. This study aimed to determine feasibility for a future full-scale Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) and explore the impact of the BTS on long COVID symptoms.

METHODS

This pre-post pilot study was conducted in an outpatient mental health clinic. Adults aged 20-65 years old with persistent COVID-19 symptoms were screened and randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. The intervention group was given 8 Biosound Therapy sessions during a period of 4 weeks. All participants were assessed at baseline and at post-intervention using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7), Cambridge Brain Sciences (CBS) tasks, and the COVID-19 Persistent Symptom Questionnaire. The feasibility outcomes were recruitment rates, retention rates, and open-ended questions about participants' experiences.

RESULTS

15 participants enrolled in the study and 13 completed the study (9 intervention, 4 control). Trial recruitment ended prematurely due to the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Participants responded to open-ended questions with only positive remarks and made no comments on the study not being feasible. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that compared to baseline, participants in the intervention group had significant improvement in their GAD-7 score, PHQ9 score, 2 Cambridge Brain Science tasks ("Odd" and "Double Trouble"), fatigue, and difficulties in concentrating or remembering (p < 0.05; 95 % CI).

CONCLUSION

The intervention group showed promising improvement without reported side effects. A full-scale RCT is feasible as long as the recruitment setting is changed to a location that allows access to more patients with long COVID. Results were limited due to the small sample size; therefore, a full-scale trial is needed.

Association between healthy lifestyles and post-COVID-19 syndrome among college students

BACKGROUND

Post-COVID-19 syndrome still occurs in some populations. A healthy lifestyle is widely recognized as a first-line treatment to increase the body's antiviral resistance and tissue repair, but it is unclear whether a healthy lifestyle can promote or alleviate the symptoms of post-COVID-19 syndrome.

METHODS

A stratified random sampling method was used to select 498 participants from three universities in Fujian as the target of the questionnaire survey. The survey focused on students' healthy lifestyles and the symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, dyspnea, and depression that are common in post-COVID-19 syndrome.

RESULTS

Two months after developing COVID-19, some students continued to experience fatigue, anxiety, dyspnea, and depression, with fatigue being the most prominent symptom. The results of the study showed that there was a significant negative correlation (P < 0.01) between a healthy lifestyle and fatigue, anxiety, dyspnea, and depression among university students. Furthermore, when analyzing the different subdimensions of healthy lifestyles among university students, it was found that all dimensions showed varying degrees of negative correlation with fatigue, anxiety, dyspnea, and depression, except for health-related behaviors and interpersonal behaviors, which showed no relationship with fatigue (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

By improving healthy lifestyles, long-term COVID-19 symptoms can be reduced and improved and contribute positively to patient recovery, providing a viable rehabilitation option for long-term COVID-19 patients.

Impact of Baseline Anxiety on Well-being in People with Post-COVID-19 Condition: A Secondary Analysis

BACKGROUND

Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) is associated with a host of psychopathological conditions including prominent anxiety symptoms. However, it is not known what effect anxious symptoms have on measures of well-being in individuals living with PCC. This study aims to evaluate anxiety's association with measures of well-being in people with PCC.

METHODS

This is a post hoc analysis utilizing data from a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind clinical trial assessing the effect of vortioxetine on cognitive impairment in individuals with PCC (NCT05047952). Baseline data with respect to anxiety and well-being were collected using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, 7-Item (GAD-7), and the World Health Organization (WHO) Well-Being Index, 5-Item (WHO-5), respectively. A generalized linear model (GLM) analysis on baseline GAD-7 and WHO-5 scores was conducted with age, sex, employment status, education level, previous major depressive disorder (MDD) diagnosis, and confirmed COVID-19 cases as covariates.

RESULTS

Data was analyzed in a sample of 144 participants (N = 144). After controlling for the aforementioned covariates, the results found that GAD-7 and WHO-5 scores had a significant negative correlation (β = -0.053, p = <0.001), signifying that increased anxiety had adverse effects on the overall well-being of individuals with PCC.

CONCLUSION

Herein, we observed a clinically meaningful level of anxiety in individuals with PCC. We also identified a robust correlation between anxiety in PCC and measures of general well-being. Our results require replication, providing the impetus for recommending screening and targeting anxious symptoms as a tactic to improve general well-being and outcomes in individuals with PCC.

The knowns and unknowns of long COVID-19: from mechanisms to therapeutical approaches

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has been defined as the greatest global health and socioeconomic crisis of modern times. While most people recover after being infected with the virus, a significant proportion of them continue to experience health issues weeks, months and even years after acute infection with SARS-CoV-2. This persistence of clinical symptoms in infected individuals for at least three months after the onset of the disease or the emergence of new symptoms lasting more than two months, without any other explanation and alternative diagnosis have been named long COVID, long-haul COVID, post-COVID-19 conditions, chronic COVID, or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). Long COVID has been characterized as a constellation of symptoms and disorders that vary widely in their manifestations. Further, the mechanisms underlying long COVID are not fully understood, which hamper efficient treatment options. This review describes predictors and the most common symptoms related to long COVID's effects on the central and peripheral nervous system and other organs and tissues. Furthermore, the transcriptional markers, molecular signaling pathways and risk factors for long COVID, such as sex, age, pre-existing condition, hospitalization during acute phase of COVID-19, vaccination, and lifestyle are presented. Finally, recommendations for patient rehabilitation and disease management, as well as alternative therapeutical approaches to long COVID sequelae are discussed. Understanding the complexity of this disease, its symptoms across multiple organ systems and overlapping pathologies and its possible mechanisms are paramount in developing diagnostic tools and treatments.

The Multisystem effects of Long COVID Syndrome and Potential Benefits of Massage Therapy in Long COVID Care

Background

A major complication of infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, is the potential for Long COVID Syndrome. While the pathophysiology of Long COVID Syndrome has yet to be described, the disease presentation is characterized by long-term symptoms with debilitating effects on human health. A better understanding of Long COVID symptomology may open up new avenues for patient treatment such as massage therapy.

Methods

From the PubMed database, cohort studies that examined post-infection COVID sequelae published between January 1st, 2021 and April 30th, 2021 were selected to investigate patient demographics and symptoms. A review of massage therapy literature since 2000 in conjunction with identified Long COVID symptoms was performed.

Results

This systematic review identified 17 cohort studies across the world that investigated the symptomatology of patients suffering from post-COVID sequelae in multiple organ systems. We identified the pulmonary and nervous systems to be the organ systems most affected with post-COVID sequelae, with PTSD, fatigue, dyspnea, cough, sleep disturbances, loss of smell, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite as the most common symptoms reported by >20% of Long COVID patients. Massage therapy was historically found to provide benefits to patients experiencing similar symptoms to those identified in Long COVID.

Conclusions

Recognizing the need for new approaches to treatment for Long COVID Syndrome, we identify massage therapy as a potential therapeutic treatment to positively impact the organ systems affected by Long COVID, especially the high-incident symptoms, and improve patient quality of life.

A cross-sectional and population-based study from primary care on post-COVID-19 conditions in non-hospitalized patients

BACKGROUND

Current research on post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) has focused on hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and often lacks a comparison group. This study assessed the prevalence of PCC in non-hospitalized COVID-19 primary care patients compared to primary care patients not diagnosed with COVID-19.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, population-based study (n = 2539) analyzed and compared the prevalence of PCC in patients with a positive COVID-19 test (n = 1410) and patients with a negative COVID-19 test (n = 1129) never hospitalized for COVID-19 related conditions. Participants were identified using electronic health records and completed an electronic questionnaire, available in English and Spanish, including 54 potential post COVID-19 symptoms. Logistic regression was conducted to assess the association of PCC with COVID-19.

RESULTS

Post-COVID-19 conditions are prevalent in both groups, and significantly more prevalent in patients with COVID-19. Strong significant differences exist for the twenty most reported conditions, except for anxiety. Common conditions are fatigue (59.5% (COVID-19 positive) vs. 41.3% (COVID-19 negative); OR 2.15 [1.79-2.60]), difficulty sleeping (52.1% (positive) vs. 41.9% (negative); OR 1.42 [1.18-1.71]) and concentration problems (50.6% (positive) vs 28.5% (negative); OR 2.64 [2.17-3.22]). Similar disparities in prevalence are also observed after comparing two groups (positive vs. negative) by age, sex, time since testing, and race/ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

PCC is highly prevalent in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients in primary care. However, it is important to note that PCC strongly overlaps with common health symptoms seen in primary care, including fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and headaches, which makes the diagnosis of PCC in primary care even more challenging.

Ambulatory Status at Discharge Predicts Six-Month Mortality in Patients with COVID-19: A Retrospective Cohort Study

This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the association between ambulatory status at discharge and six-month post-discharge mortality among adults with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). We analyzed data from 398 patients aged over 18 admitted to a tertiary hospital in South Korea between December 2019 and June 2022. Patients were classified into two groups based on their ambulatory status at discharge: ambulatory (able to walk independently, n = 286) and non-ambulatory (unable to walk independently, requiring wheelchair or bed-bound, n = 112). Our analysis revealed that six-month survival rates were significantly higher in the ambulatory group (94.2%) compared to the non-ambulatory group (84.4%). Multivariate analysis identified ambulatory status at discharge (p = 0.047) and pre-existing malignancy (p = 0.007) as significant prognostic factors for post-discharge survival. This study highlights that the ability to walk independently at discharge is a crucial predictor of six-month survival in COVID-19 patients. These findings emphasize the need for interventions to improve the physical performance of non-ambulatory patients, potentially enhancing their survival prospects. This underscores the importance of targeted rehabilitation and physical therapy for the comprehensive care of COVID-19 survivors.

COVID-19, Possible Hepatic Pathways and Alcohol Abuse-What Do We Know up to 2023?

The pandemic period due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) revolutionized all possible areas of global health. Significant consequences were also related to diverse extrapulmonary manifestations of this pathology. The liver was found to be a relatively common organ, beyond the respiratory tract, affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Multiple studies revealed the essential role of chronic liver disease (CLD) in the general outcome of coronavirus infection. Present concerns in this field are related to the direct hepatic consequences caused by COVID-19 and pre-existing liver disorders as risk factors for the severe course of the infection. Which mechanism has a key role in this phenomenon-previously existing hepatic disorder or acute liver failure due to SARS-CoV-2-is still not fully clarified. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) constitutes another not fully elucidated context of coronavirus infection. Should the toxic effects of ethanol or already developed liver cirrhosis and its consequences be perceived as a causative or triggering factor of hepatic impairment in COVID-19 patients? In the face of these discrepancies, we decided to summarize the role of the liver in the whole picture of coronavirus infection, paying special attention to ALD and focusing on the pathological pathways related to COVID-19, ethanol toxicity and liver cirrhosis.

Transcriptome and machine learning analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on mitochondria and multiorgan damage

The effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) primarily concern the respiratory tract and lungs; however, studies have shown that all organs are susceptible to infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). COVID-19 may involve multiorgan damage from direct viral invasion through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), through inflammatory cytokine storms, or through other secondary pathways. This study involved the analysis of publicly accessible transcriptome data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database for identifying significant differentially expressed genes related to COVID-19 and an investigation relating to the pathways associated with mitochondrial, cardiac, hepatic, and renal toxicity in COVID-19. Significant differentially expressed genes were identified and ranked by statistical approaches, and the genes derived by biological meaning were ranked by feature importance; both were utilized as machine learning features for verification. Sample set selection for machine learning was based on the performance, sample size, imbalanced data state, and overfitting assessment. Machine learning served as a verification tool by facilitating the testing of biological hypotheses by incorporating gene list adjustment. A subsequent in-depth study for gene and pathway network analysis was conducted to explore whether COVID-19 is associated with cardiac, hepatic, and renal impairments via mitochondrial infection. The analysis showed that potential cardiac, hepatic, and renal impairments in COVID-19 are associated with ACE2, inflammatory cytokine storms, and mitochondrial pathways, suggesting potential medical interventions for COVID-19-induced multiorgan damage.

Functionality, physical activity, fatigue and quality of life in patients with acute COVID-19 and Long COVID infection

A prominent feature of COVID-19, both in the short and long term, is the reduction in quality of life (QoL) due to low functionality scores and the presence of fatigue, which can hinder daily activities. The main objective of this study is to compare the functional status, level of physical activity, fatigue, and QoL of patients with Long COVID to other COVID-19 patients who did not develop persistent illness, and to determine whether there is a relationship between these variables and QoL. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 170 participants who had been infected with COVID-19 or had developed Long COVID. The main variables studied were functionality, physical activity, QoL and fatigue, measured using the PostCOVID-19 Functional Status Scale (PCFS), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Short Form 12 (SF-12), and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The main findings show a significant relationship (p < 0.001) between reduced functionality, lower physical activity levels, increased fatigue severity, and poorer QoL in Long COVID patients. Furthermore, these variables are also related to worse QoL, but only functional status predicts it. In conclusion, our results have shown highly significant correlations between the group with COVID-19 and Long COVID regarding functional status, level of physical activity, QoL, and fatigue.

Trajectory of post-COVID brain fog, memory loss, and concentration loss in previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors: the LONG-COVID-EXP multicenter study

Objective

This study aimed to apply Sankey plots and exponential bar plots for visualizing the trajectory of post-COVID brain fog, memory loss, and concentration loss in a cohort of previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors.

Methods

A sample of 1,266 previously hospitalized patients due to COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic were assessed at 8.4 (T1), 13.2 (T2), and 18.3 (T3) months after hospital discharge. They were asked about the presence of the following self-reported cognitive symptoms: brain fog (defined as self-perception of sluggish or fuzzy thinking), memory loss (defined as self-perception of unusual forgetfulness), and concentration loss (defined as self-perception of not being able to maintain attention). We asked about symptoms that individuals had not experienced previously, and they attributed them to the acute infection. Clinical and hospitalization data were collected from hospital medical records.

Results

The Sankey plots revealed that the prevalence of post-COVID brain fog was 8.37% (n = 106) at T1, 4.7% (n = 60) at T2, and 5.1% (n = 65) at T3, whereas the prevalence of post-COVID memory loss was 14.9% (n = 189) at T1, 11.4% (n = 145) at T2, and 12.12% (n = 154) at T3. Finally, the prevalence of post-COVID concentration loss decreased from 6.86% (n = 87) at T1, to 4.78% (n = 60) at T2, and to 2.63% (n = 33) at T3. The recovery exponential curves show a decreasing trend, indicating that these post-COVID cognitive symptoms recovered in the following years after discharge. The regression models did not reveal any medical record data associated with post-COVID brain fog, memory loss, or concentration loss in the long term.

Conclusion

The use of Sankey plots shows a fluctuating evolution of post-COVID brain fog, memory loss, or concentration loss during the first years after the infection. In addition, exponential bar plots revealed a decrease in the prevalence of these symptoms during the first years after hospital discharge. No risk factors were identified in this cohort.

Febrile seizure in children with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave

Objective

To explore the clinical characteristics and prognosis of febrile seizure in children with COVID-19.

Methods

This study is a single-center retrospective cohort study. The cases included febrile seizures in children with COVID-19 admitted to the Renji Hospital from April 7th, 2022 to June 2nd, 2022. We compared children with and without febrile seizures in their clinical characteristics such as sex, age, symptoms, seizure manifestation, COVID-19 severity, and SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid test results. The children with febrile seizures were followed up by telephone and outpatient service about one month after the nucleic acid turned negative and discharged from the hospital.

Results

A total of 585 cases of children with COVID-19 were included in the analysis. There were 15 children (1.8%) with febrile seizures, age from six months to three years old, nine boys (60.0%) and six girls (40.0%). The manifestations of febrile seizures were all generalized tonic-clonic seizures. The median nucleic acid negative conversion time was 11 (IQR:10.75,13) days. Our first comparison involved comparing children without underlying diseases; there was no significant difference in sex, COVID-19 severity, and clinical manifestations, but there was an age difference (2 vs. 1.3, P = 0.047). There was no difference in SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid negative time between the two groups (11d vs. 13d, P = 0.128). One child had new clinical manifestations during the follow-up, but his EEG and MRI were normal.

Conclusion

Febrile seizure may be children's primary neurological manifestation of COVID-19. It may occur in children with no history of epilepsy and is not associated with severe illness. The long-term neurological outcomes of these children should be followed up.

Post-Coronavirus Disease 2019 Syndrome in Japan: An Observational Study Using a Medical Database

Introduction

In Japan, the clinical information on post-COVID-19 syndrome, including nursing care requirements, is limited. The present study investigated the incidence of acute and post-COVID-19 symptoms, including nursing care requirements, when different SARS-CoV2 strains were prevalent and vaccination statuses changed to mass vaccination programs in Japan.

Methods

Electronic health records of 122,045 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022, were obtained from the Tokushukai Group Medical Database. Patient data was divided into three observation periods. Using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10 codes, typical symptoms of acute (within two weeks after diagnosis) and post-COVID-19 (2-12 weeks after diagnosis) were extracted. Moreover, the nursing care requirements of patients who visited the hospital before and after the COVID-19 diagnosis were examined.

Results

Original and alpha strains were prevalent in Period 1, wherein most of the population was unvaccinated. The delta strain was prevalent in Period 2, wherein approximately 70% of the population was vaccinated. The omicron strain was prevalent in Period 3, wherein approximately 70% of the population completed the two vaccination doses. Headache, malaise/fatigue, depression, and disuse syndrome were detected in acute and post-COVID-19. The incidence of depression and disuse syndrome in post-COVID-19 increased with age, with the highest incidence in the 60-85-year group. Moreover, increased high-level nursing care requirements were observed after COVID-19 in the 60-85-year-age group.

Conclusions

A lower incidence of acute and post-COVID-19 symptoms in Japan is linked to increased population vaccination coverage. However, differences in viral strains may be involved. Moreover, a reduction in long-term quality of life exists in older adult patients after COVID-19. These data provide fundamental information for preventing and treating post-COVID-19 syndrome in Japan.

Long COVID Symptoms in Non-Hospitalised Patients: A Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to healthcare systems. As the number of affected individuals continues to rise, it is crucial to find preventive, diagnostic, and therapeutic approaches. This study aims to describe different COVID-19 sequelae within a Primary Health Care population.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in adults diagnosed with COVID-19 from March 2020 to April 2022, excluding pregnant women, minors, nursing home residents, hospitalizations, and deaths. Data was gathered from surveillance records on the Trace COVID-19® platform, a pre-set original questionnaire (which included the Portuguese version of the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Assessment Instrument), and, if needed, patient electronic health records. Information on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of acute COVID-19 was collected along with long COVID symptoms.

RESULTS

This study included 284 patients, aged 19 to 99 years old. The five most prevalent acute COVID-19 symptoms were fever (50.0%), tiredness (48.2%), myalgias (44.7%), dry cough (37.7%) and odynophagia (36.3%). Symptoms related to the neurological system (23.2%) and tiredness (22.9%) were the most prevalent in long COVID symptoms. Acute tiredness and arthralgia were associated with all long COVID outcomes. The associations between acute COVID-19 symptoms with long COVID outcomes were stronger for anosmia [OR = 5.07, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.49 - 10.36, p < 0.001] on a neurological chapter, acute tiredness for long lasting tiredness (OR = 4.07, 95% CI 2.07 - 8.02, p = 0.041), fatigue for muscles and/or bones chapter (OR = 7.55, 95% CI 3.06 - 18.66, p < 0.001), tiredness on an endocrine/hormonal chapter (OR = 6.54, 95% CI 2.37 - 18.04, p < 0.001), dyspnea for respiratory symptoms (OR = 5.67, 95% CI 1.92 - 16.74, p = 0.002) and fever for stomach or intestine symptoms (OR = 8.06, 95% CI 2.55 - 25.47, p < 0.001). Almost all quality of life dimensions were negatively associated with the number of long COVID symptoms.

CONCLUSION

A higher number of acute symptoms, as well as the presence of specific COVID-19 symptoms were associated with reported symptoms ≥ 12 weeks after infection. In the studied population, an increased number of symptoms in both acute and long COVID had a significant negative impact on the perception of overall quality of life. The identification of these relationships could provide a new perspective for post-COVID care.

COVID-19. Biology, pathophysiology, and immunology: a pathologist view

Even if the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has been declared over, several risks and clinical problems remain to be faced, including long-COVID sequelae and possible outbreaks of pathogenic variants. Intense research on COVID-19 has provided in these few years a striking amount of data covering different fields and disciplines, which can help to provide a knowledge shield against new potential infective spreads, and may also potentially be applied to other fields of medicine, including oncology and neurology. Nevertheless, areas of uncertainty still remain regarding the pathogenic mechanisms that subtend the multifaceted manifestations of the disease. To better clarify the pathogenesis of the disease, a systematic multidisciplinary evaluation of the many mechanisms involved in COVID-19 is mandatory, including clinical, physiological, radiological, immunological and pathological studies. In COVID-19 syndrome the pathological studies have been mainly performed on autopsy cases, and only a few studies are available on biopsies. Nevertheless, these studies have provided relevant information that can substantially contribute to decipher the complex scenario characterizing the different forms of COVID-19 and long-COVID-19. In this review the data provided by pathological investigations are recapitulated and discussed, in the light of different hypothesis and data provided by clinical, physiological and immunological data.

Persistent clinical symptoms and their association with CM syndromes in post-COVID-19 rehabilitation patients in Hong Kong

Background

Heterogeneous clinical conditions were observed in individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 and some symptoms were found to persist for an extended period post-COVID. Given the non-specific nature of the symptoms, Chinese medicine (CM) is advantageous in providing holistic medical assessment for individuals experiencing persisting problems. Chinese medicine is a type of treatment that involves prescribing regimens based on CM Syndromes diagnosed by CM practitioners. However, inadequate research on CM elements behind the practice has faced scrutiny.

Methods

This study analysed 1058 CM medical records from 150 post-COVID-19 individuals via a semi-text-mining approach. A logistic model with MCMCglmm was then utilised to analyse the associations between the indicated factors and identified conditions. Calculations were performed using R Studio and related libraries.

Results

With the semi-text-mining approach, three common CM Syndromes (Qi and Yin Deficiency, Lung and Spleen Deficiency, Qi Deficiency of both Spleen and Lung) and nine clinical conditions (fatigue, poor sleep, dry mouth, shortness of breath, cough, headache, tiredness, sweating, coughing phlegm) were identified in the CM clinical records. Analysis via MCMCglmm revealed that the occurrence of persisting clinical conditions was significantly associated with female gender, existing chronic conditions (hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes mellitus), and the three persisting CM Syndromes. The current study triangulated the findings from our previous observational study, further showing that patients with certain post-COVID CM Syndromes had significantly increased log-odds of having persisting clinical conditions. Furthermore, this study elucidated that the presence of chronic conditions in the patients would also significantly increase the log-odds of having persistent post-COVID clinical conditions.

Conclusion

This study provided insights on mining text-based CM clinical records to identify persistent post-COVID clinical conditions and the factors associated with their occurrence. Future studies could examine the integration of integrating exercise modules, such as health qigong Liuzijue, into multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes.

Neuroimmunological Effect of Vitamin D on Neuropsychiatric Long COVID Syndrome: A Review

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). COVID-19 is now recognized as a multiorgan disease with a broad spectrum of manifestations. A substantial proportion of individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 are experiencing persistent, prolonged, and often incapacitating sequelae, collectively referred to as long COVID. To date, definitive diagnostic criteria for long COVID diagnosis remain elusive. An emerging public health threat is neuropsychiatric long COVID, encompassing a broad range of manifestations, such as sleep disturbance, anxiety, depression, brain fog, and fatigue. Although the precise mechanisms underlying the neuropsychiatric complications of long COVID are presently not fully elucidated, neural cytolytic effects, neuroinflammation, cerebral microvascular compromise, breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), thrombosis, hypoxia, neurotransmitter dysregulation, and provoked neurodegeneration are pathophysiologically linked to long-term neuropsychiatric consequences, in addition to systemic hyperinflammation and maladaptation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Vitamin D, a fat-soluble secosteroid, is a potent immunomodulatory hormone with potential beneficial effects on anti-inflammatory responses, neuroprotection, monoamine neurotransmission, BBB integrity, vasculometabolic functions, gut microbiota, and telomere stability in different phases of SARS-CoV-2 infection, acting through both genomic and nongenomic pathways. Here, we provide an up-to-date review of the potential mechanisms and pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric long COVID syndrome and the plausible neurological contributions of vitamin D in mitigating the effects of long COVID.

Immune Response after SARS-CoV-2 Infection with Residual Post-COVID Symptoms

Many patients develop post-acute COVID syndrome (long COVID (LC)). We compared the immune response of LC and individuals with post-COVID full recovery (HC) during the Omicron pandemic. Two hundred ninety-two patients with confirmed COVID infections from January to May 2022 were enrolled. We observed anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain immunoglobulin G, surrogate virus neutralization test, T cell subsets, and neutralizing antibodies against Wuhan, BA.1, and BA.5 viruses (NeuT). NeuT was markedly reduced against BA.1 and BA.5 in HC and LC groups, while antibodies were more sustained with three doses and an updated booster shot than ≤2-dose vaccinations. The viral neutralization ability declined at >84-days after COVID-19 onset (PC) in both groups. PD1-expressed central and effector memory CD4+ T cells, and central memory CD8+ T cells were reduced in the first months PC in LC. Therefore, booster vaccines may be required sooner after the most recent infection to rescue T cell function for people with symptomatic LC.

Trajectory of Post-COVID Self-Reported Fatigue and Dyspnoea in Individuals Who Had Been Hospitalized by COVID-19: The LONG-COVID-EXP Multicenter Study

Fatigue and dyspnoea are common post-COVID symptoms. The aim of this study was to apply Sankey plots and exponential bar plots for visualizing the evolution and trajectory of post-COVID fatigue and dyspnoea symptoms in a cohort of previously hospitalized COVID-19 survivors. A total of 1266 previously hospitalized patients due to COVID-19 participated in this multicentre study. They were assessed at hospital admission (T0), 8.4 months (T1), 13.2 months (T2) and 18.3 months (T3) after hospital discharge and were asked about the presence of self-reported fatigue or dyspnoea symptoms. Fatigue was defined as a self-perceived feeling of constant tiredness and/or weakness whereas dyspnoea was defined as a self-perceived feeling of shortness of breath at rest. We specifically asked for fatigue and dyspnoea that participants attributed to the infection. Clinical/hospitalization data were collected from hospital medical records. The prevalence of post-COVID fatigue was 56.94% (n = 721) at T1, 52.31% (n = 662) at T2 and 42.66% (n = 540) at T3. The prevalence of dyspnoea at rest decreased from 28.71% (n = 363) at hospital admission (T0), to 21.29% (n = 270) at T1, to 13.96% (n = 177) at T2 and 12.04% (n = 153) at T3. The Sankey plots revealed that 469 (37.08%) and 153 (12.04%) patients exhibited fatigue and dyspnoea at all follow-up periods. The recovery exponential curves show a decreased prevalence trend, showing that fatigue and dyspnoea recover the following three years after hospitalization. The regression models revealed that the female sex and experiencing the symptoms (e.g., fatigue, dyspnoea) at T1 were factors associated with the presence of post-COVID fatigue or dyspnoea at T2 and T3. The use of Sankey plots shows a fluctuating evolution of post-COVID fatigue and dyspnoea during the first two years after infection. In addition, exponential bar plots revealed a decreased prevalence of these symptoms during the first years after. The female sex is a risk factor for the development of post-COVID fatigue and dyspnoea.

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome in Neurology Patients: A Single Center Experience

Our aim was to determine the frequency and characteristics of neurological post-COVID-19 syndrome and the diagnostic and therapeutic measures that were used for the treatment of these patients. Data were collected for 243 patients examined during the period of 11 May 2021 to 22 June 2022. The inclusion criteria were COVID-19 illness and neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19. The exclusion criteria were non-neurological symptoms, patients who did not suffer from COVID-19, and symptoms that occurred after vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Data for 227 patients with neurological post-COVID-19 symptoms were analyzed. Most patients presented with multiple symptoms, most often headache, cognitive impairment, loss of smell, paresthesia, fatigue, dizziness, and insomnia. Patients were most often referred for consultative examinations, neuroradiological imaging, and EEG. The therapy was mostly symptomatic. Most patients had no change in their symptoms on follow-up visits (53.21%), while positive outcome was found in 44.95% of patients. This study found that neurological post-COVID-19 syndrome appears to be more common in women, and generally, the most common symptoms are headache and cognitive impairment. The gender distribution of symptoms was clearly visible and should be further investigated. There is a need for longitudinal follow-up studies to better understand the disease dynamic.

One-Year Temporal Changes in Long COVID Prevalence and Characteristics: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the 1-year temporal change in prevalence, variety, and potential risk factors of long COVID symptoms and to further predict the prognostic trends of long COVID.

METHODS

We searched electronic databases for related studies published from January 2020 to February 2022 and conducted 1-group meta-analysis and locally weighted regression to explore the monthly temporal change in the prevalence of each long COVID symptom in 1-year follow-up period.

RESULTS

A total of 137 studies were included in meta-analysis, including 134 093 participants. The temporal change of any long COVID symptom showed a steep decrease initially (from 92% at acute phase to 55% at 1-month follow-up), followed by stabilization at approximately 50% during 1-year follow-up. Six months or more after the acute phase, the odds ratio of population characteristic-related factors increased, such as female (from 1.62 to 1.82), whereas the odds ratio value of acute phase-related factors (severe or critical cases and hospitalization) decreased. As for specific symptoms, approximately two-thirds of the symptoms did not significantly reduce during the 1-year follow-up, and the neuropsychiatric symptoms showed a higher long-term prevalence (approximately 25%) and longer persistence than physical symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The temporal changes in the prevalence and characteristics speculate that long COVID may persist longer than expected. In particular, we should pay more attention to neuropsychiatric symptoms and other symptoms for which there is no significant downward trend in prevalence. The influence of acute phase-related factors for long COVID gradually decreases over time, whereas the influence of population characteristic-related factors gradually increases.

COVID-19 and neurological disorders: what might connect Parkinson's disease to SARS-CoV-2 infection

SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) rapidly became a worldwide health emergency due to its elevated infecting capacity, morbidity, and mortality. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and, nowadays the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 outbreak and PD reached a great interest. Apparently independent one from the other, both diseases share some pathogenetic and clinical features. The relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and PD is complex and it depends on the direction of the association that is which of the two diseases comes first. Some evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 infection might be a possible risk factor for PD wherein the exposure to SARS-CoV-2 increase the risk for PD. This perspective comes out from the increasing cases of parkinsonism following COVID-19 and also from the anatomical structures affected in both COVID-19 and early PD such as olfactory bulb and gastrointestinal tract resulting in the same symptoms such as hyposmia and constipation. Furthermore, there are many reported cases of patients who developed hypokinetic extrapyramidal syndrome following SARS-CoV-2 infection although these would resemble a post-encephalitic conditions and there are to date relevant data to support the hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 infection is a risk factor for the development of PD. Future large, longitudinal and population-based studies are needed to better assess whether the risk of developing PD after COVID-19 exists given the short time span from the starting of pandemic. Indeed, this brief time-window does not allow the precise estimation of the incidence and prevalence of PD after pandemic when compared with pre-pandemic era. If the association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and PD pathogenesis is actually putative, on the other hand, vulnerable PD patients may have a greater risk to develop COVID-19 being also more prone to develop a more aggressive disease course. Furthermore, PD patients with PD showed a worsening of motor and non-motor symptoms during COVID-19 outbreak due to both infection and social restriction. As well, the worries related to the risk of being infected should not be neglected. Here we summarize the current knowledge emerging about the epidemiological, pathogenetic and clinical relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and PD.

Analysis of Differences in User Groups and Post Sentiment of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitators in Chinese Social-Media Platforms

(1) Background: The COVID-19 epidemic is still global and no specific drug has been developed for COVID-19. Vaccination can both prevent infection and limit the spread of the epidemic. Eliminating hesitation to the COVID-19 vaccine and achieving early herd immunity is a common goal for all countries. However, efforts in this area have not been significant and there is still a long way to go to eliminate vaccine hesitancy. (2) Objective: This study aimed to uncover differences in the characteristics and sentiments of COVID-19 vaccine hesitators on Chinese social-media platforms and to achieve a classification of vaccine-hesitant groups. (3) Methods: COVID-19-vaccine-hesitation posts and user characteristics were collected on the Sina Microblog platform for posting times spanning one year, and posts were identified for hesitation types. Logistic regression was used to conduct user-group analysis. The differences in user characteristics between the various types of COVID-19 vaccine posts were analysed according to four user characteristics: gender, address type, degree of personal-information disclosure, and whether they followed health topics. Sentiment analysis was conducted using sentiment analysis tools to calculate the sentiment scores and sentiment polarity of various COVID-19 vaccine posts, and the K-W test was used to uncover the sentiment differences between various types of COVID-19-vaccine-hesitation posts. (4) Results: There are differences in the types of COVID-19-vaccine-hesitation posts posted by users with different characteristics, and different types of COVID-19-vaccine-hesitation posts differ in terms of sentiment. Differences in user attributes and user behaviors are found across the different COVID-19-vaccine-hesitation types. Ultimately, two COVID-19-vaccine-hesitant user groups were identified: Body-related and Non-bodily-related. Users who posted body-related vaccine-hesitation posts are more often female, disclose more personal information and follow health topics on social-media platforms. Users who posted non-bodily-related posts are more often male, disclose less personal information, and do not follow health topics. The average sentiment score for all COVID-19-vaccine-hesitant-type posts is less than 0.45, with negative-sentiment posts outweighing positive- and neutral-sentiment posts in each type, among which the "Individual rights" type is the most negative. (5) Conclusions: This paper complements the application of user groups in the field of vaccine hesitation, and the results of the analysis of group characteristics and post sentiment can help to provide an in-depth and comprehensive analysis of the concerns and needs of COVID-19 vaccine hesitators. This will help public-health agencies to implement more targeted strategies to eliminate vaccine hesitancy and improve their work related to the COVID-19 vaccine, with far-reaching implications for COVID-19-vaccine promotion and vaccination.

Risk Perception, Perceived Government Coping Validity, and Individual Sleep Problems in the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in China: Mediation Analysis Based on Negative Emotions

This study aimed to investigate the relationship among risk perception, negative emotions, perceived government coping validity, and the sleep problem of the public, through regression analysis and mediation analysis of data from the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in China (three months after the outbreak). It found that people's perception of the risk of the pandemic, negative emotions, and perceived government coping validity significantly affected people's sleep quality and nightmares. Further analysis found that individuals' perception of risk not only affected their sleep but also intensified their negative emotions, ultimately impairing the quality of their sleep and leading to nightmares. However, having a high level of coping validity can mitigate negative emotions and consequently decrease the occurrence of nightmares, thereby enhancing the quality of sleep. Specifically, perceived government coping validity could not only directly reduce nightmares, but also indirectly reduce nightmares by lowering negative emotions. However, it could only indirectly improve sleep by reducing negative emotions. It implicated that improving and resolving sleep problems required not only medical intervention but also psychological intervention. Simultaneously, improving the government's response effectiveness could strengthen people's trust in the government, stabilize their mental states, and significantly improve their quality of life by reducing negative emotions and improving sleep.

Immune Dynamics Involved in Acute and Convalescent COVID-19 Patients

COVID-19 is a viral disease that has caused millions of deaths around the world since 2020. Many strategies have been developed to manage patients in critical conditions; however, comprehension of the immune system is a key factor in viral clearance, tissue repairment, and adaptive immunity stimulus. Participation of immunity has been identified as a major factor, along with biomarkers, prediction of clinical outcomes, and antibody production after infection. Immune cells have been proposed not only as a hallmark of severity, but also as a predictor of clinical outcomes, while dynamics of inflammatory molecules can also induce worse consequences for acute patients. For convalescent patients, mild disease was related to higher antibody production, although the factors related to the specific antibodies based on a diversity of antigens were not clear. COVID-19 was explored over time; however, the study of immunological predictors of outcomes is still lacking discussion, especially in convalescent patients. Here, we propose a review using previously published studies to identify immunological markers of COVID-19 outcomes and their relation to antibody production to further contribute to the clinical and laboratorial management of patients.

Multi-organ impairment and long COVID: a 1-year prospective, longitudinal cohort study

OBJECTIVES

To determine the prevalence of organ impairment in long COVID patients at 6 and 12 months after initial symptoms and to explore links to clinical presentation.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals.

METHODS

In individuals recovered from acute COVID-19, we assessed symptoms, health status, and multi-organ tissue characterisation and function.

SETTING

Two non-acute healthcare settings (Oxford and London). Physiological and biochemical investigations were performed at baseline on all individuals, and those with organ impairment were reassessed.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary outcome was prevalence of single- and multi-organ impairment at 6 and 12 months post COVID-19.

RESULTS

A total of 536 individuals (mean age 45 years, 73% female, 89% white, 32% healthcare workers, 13% acute COVID-19 hospitalisation) completed baseline assessment (median: 6 months post COVID-19); 331 (62%) with organ impairment or incidental findings had follow-up, with reduced symptom burden from baseline (median number of symptoms 10 and 3, at 6 and 12 months, respectively). Extreme breathlessness (38% and 30%), cognitive dysfunction (48% and 38%) and poor health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L < 0.7; 57% and 45%) were common at 6 and 12 months, and associated with female gender, younger age and single-organ impairment. Single- and multi-organ impairment were present in 69% and 23% at baseline, persisting in 59% and 27% at follow-up, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Organ impairment persisted in 59% of 331 individuals followed up at 1 year post COVID-19, with implications for symptoms, quality of life and longer-term health, signalling the need for prevention and integrated care of long COVID.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04369807.

Long COVID: Clinical Framing, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Approaches

More than two years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare providers are facing an emergency within an emergency, the so-called long COVID or post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). Patients diagnosed with PCS develop an extended range of persistent symptoms and/or complications from COVID-19. The risk factors and clinical manifestations are many and various. Advanced age, sex/gender, and pre-existing conditions certainly influence the pathogenesis and course of this syndrome. However, the absence of precise diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers may further complicate the clinical management of patients. This review aimed to summarize recent evidence on the factors influencing PCS, possible biomarkers, and therapeutic approaches. Older patients recovered approximately one month earlier than younger patients, with higher rates of symptoms. Fatigue during the acute phase of COVID-19 appears to be an important risk factor for symptom persistence. Female sex, older age, and active smoking are associated with a higher risk of developing PCS. The incidence of cognitive decline and the risk of death are higher in PCS patients than in controls. Complementary and alternative medicine appears to be associated with improvement in symptoms, particularly fatigue. The heterogeneous nature of post-COVID symptoms and the complexity of patients with PCS, who are often polytreated due to concomitant clinical conditions, suggest a holistic and integrated approach to provide useful guidance for the treatment and overall management of long COVID.

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Comprehensive Assessment: From Clinical Diagnosis to Imaging and Biochemical-Guided Diagnosis and Management

The COVID-19 outbreak was first reported in 2019, causing massive morbidity and mortality. The majority of the COVID-19 patients survived and developed Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PC19S) of varying severity. Currently, the diagnosis of PC19S is achieved through history and symptomatology that cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. However, the heavy reliance on subjective reporting is prone to reporting errors. Besides, there is no unified diagnostic assessment tool to classify the clinical severity of patients. This leads to significant difficulties when managing patients in terms of public resource utilization, clinical progression monitorization and rehabilitation plan formulation. This narrative review aims to review current evidence of diagnosis based on triple assessment: clinical symptomatology, biochemical analysis and imaging evidence. Further assessment tools can be developed based on triple assessment to monitor patient's clinical progression, prognosis and intervals of monitoring. It also highlights the high-risk features of patients for closer and earlier monitoring. Rehabilitation programs and related clinical trials are evaluated; however, most of them focus on cardiorespiratory fitness and psychiatric presentations such as anxiety and depression. Further research is required to establish an objective and comprehensive assessment tool to facilitate clinical management and rehabilitation plans.

Omicron, Long-COVID, and the Safety of Elective Surgery for Adults and Children: Joint Guidance from the Therapeutics and Guidelines Committee of the Surgical Infection Society and the Surgery Strategic Clinical Network, Alberta Health Services

Background: Active and recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections are associated with morbidity and mortality after surgery in adults. Current recommendations suggest delaying elective surgery in survivors for four to 12 weeks, depending on initial illness severity. Recently, the predominant causes of COVID-19 are the highly transmissible/less virulent Omicron variant/subvariants. Moreover, increased survivability of primary infections has engendered the long-COVID syndrome, with protean manifestations that may persist for months. Considering the more than 600,000,000 COVID-19 survivors, surgeons will likely be consulted by recovered patients seeking elective operations. Knowledge gaps of the aftermath of Omicron infections raise questions whether extant guidance for timing of surgery still applies to adults or should apply to the pediatric population. Methods: Scoping review of relevant English-language literature. Results: Most supporting data derive from early in the pandemic when the Alpha variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) predominated. The Omicron variant/subvariants generally cause milder infections with less organ dysfunction; many infections are asymptomatic, especially in children. Data are scant with respect to adult surgical outcomes after Omicron infection, and especially so for pediatric surgical outcomes at any stage of the pandemic. Conclusions: Numerous knowledge gaps persist with respect to the disease, the recovered pre-operative patient, the nature of the proposed procedure, and supporting data. For example, should the waiting period for all but urgent elective surgery be extended beyond 12 weeks, e.g., after serious/critical illness, or for patients with long-COVID and organ dysfunction? Conversely, can the waiting periods for asymptomatic patients or vaccinated patients be shortened? How shall children be risk-stratified, considering the distinctiveness of pediatric COVID-19 and the paucity of data? Forthcoming guidelines will hopefully answer these questions but may require ongoing modifications based on additional new data and the epidemiology of emerging strains.

Implementing Translational Research to Understand the Future of COVID-19 and Its Long-Term Consequences: A Degrowth Perspective or the Transformation of a Global Emergency?

It has now been three years since the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) first gave rise to a global health crisis [...].

Exosomal miR-145 and miR-885 Regulate Thrombosis in COVID-19

We hypothesized that exosomal microRNAs could be implied in the pathogenesis of thromboembolic complications in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We isolated circulating exosomes from patients with COVID-19, and then we divided our population in two arms based on the D-dimer level on hospital admission. We observed that exosomal miR-145 and miR-885 significantly correlate with D-dimer levels. Moreover, we demonstrate that human endothelial cells express the main cofactors needed for the internalization of the "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2" (SARS-CoV-2), including angiotensin converting enzyme 2, transmembrane protease serine 2, and CD-147. Interestingly, human endothelial cells treated with serum from COVID-19 patients release significantly less miR-145 and miR-885, exhibit increased apoptosis, and display significantly impaired angiogenetic properties compared with cells treated with non-COVID-19 serum. Taken together, our data indicate that exosomal miR-145 and miR-885 are essential in modulating thromboembolic events in COVID-19. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This work demonstrates for the first time that two specific microRNAs (namely miR-145 and miR-885) contained in circulating exosomes are functionally involved in thromboembolic events in COVID-19. These findings are especially relevant to the general audience when considering the emerging prominence of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 systemic manifestations known as Long COVID.

Long COVID in children and adolescents: COVID-19 follow-up results in third-level pediatric hospital

INTRODUCTION

In children, the manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the acute phase are considered mild compared with those in adults; however, some children experience a severe disease that requires hospitalization. This study was designed to present the operation and follow-up results of the Post-COVID-19 Detection and Monitoring Sequels Clinic of Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gómez in managing children with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

METHODS

This was a prospective study conducted from July 2020 to December 2021, which included 215 children aged 0-18 years who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on polymerase chain reaction and/or immunoglobulin G test. The follow-up was conducted in the pulmonology medical consultation; ambulatory and hospitalized patients were assessed at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months.

RESULTS

The median age of the patients was 9.02 years, and neurological, endocrinological, pulmonary, oncological, and cardiological comorbidities were the most commonly observed among the patients. Moreover, 32.6% of the children had persistent symptoms at 2 months, 9.3% at 4 months, and 2.3% at 6 months, including dyspnea, dry cough, fatigue, and runny nose; the main acute complications were severe pneumonia, coagulopathy, nosocomial infections, acute renal injury, cardiac dysfunction, and pulmonary fibrosis. The more representative sequelae were alopecia, radiculopathy, perniosis, psoriasis, anxiety, and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

This study showed that children experience persistent symptoms, such as dyspnea, dry cough, fatigue, and runny nose, although to a lesser extent than adults, with significant clinical improvement 6 months after the acute infection. These results indicate the importance of monitoring children with COVID-19 through face-to-face consultations or telemedicine, with the objective of offering multidisciplinary and individualized care to preserve the health and quality of life of these children.

Role of Wearable Sensing Technology to Manage Long COVID

Long COVID consequences have changed the perception towards disease management, and it is moving towards personal healthcare monitoring. In this regard, wearable devices have revolutionized the personal healthcare sector to track and monitor physiological parameters of the human body continuously. This would be largely beneficial for early detection (asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic cases of COVID-19), live patient conditions, and long COVID monitoring (COVID recovered patients and healthy individuals) for better COVID-19 management. There are multitude of wearable devices that can observe various human body parameters for remotely monitoring patients and self-monitoring mode for individuals. Smart watches, smart tattoos, rings, smart facemasks, nano-patches, etc., have emerged as the monitoring devices for key physiological parameters, such as body temperature, respiration rate, heart rate, oxygen level, etc. This review includes long COVID challenges for frequent monitoring of biometrics and its possible solution with wearable device technologies for diagnosis and post-therapy of diseases.

Prevalence and clinical presentation of long COVID in children: a systematic review

A systematic literature review was conducted up to 15th February 2022 to summarize long COVID evidence and to assess prevalence and clinical presentation in children and adolescents. Articles reporting long COVID prevalence and symptoms based on original data in the paediatric population were included. Case series quality was assessed through the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist. For observational studies, adherence to STROBE checklist was evaluated. Twenty-two articles were included: 19 observational studies (12 cohort/7 cross-sectional) and 3 case series. Nine studies provided a control group. We found a high variability in terms of prevalence (1.6-70%). The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue (2-87%), headache (3.5-80%), arthro-myalgias (5.4-66%), chest tightness or pain (1.4-51%), and dyspnoea (2-57.1%). Five studies reported limitations in daily function due to long COVID. Alterations at brain imaging were described in one study, transient electrocardiographic abnormalities were described in a minority of children, while most authors did not evidence long-term pulmonary sequelae. Older age, female sex, and previous long-term pathological conditions were more frequently associated with persistent symptoms.

CONCLUSION

Long COVID evidence in children is limited, heterogeneous, and based on low-quality studies. The lockdown consequences are difficult to distinguish from long COVID symptoms. High-quality studies are required: WHO definition of long COVID should be used, controlled clinical studies should be encouraged, and the impact of new variants on long COVID prevalence should be investigated to ensure an objective analysis of long COVID characteristics in children and a proper allocation of healthcare system resources.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Children rarely develop a severe respiratory disease in the acute phase of COVID-19. • A limited number of patients develop a multisystem inflammatory condition that can lead to multiorgan failure and shock.

WHAT IS NEW

• Persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection are reported in children and limitations in daily function due to long COVID symptoms affect school attendance. • Functional complaints of post-acute COVID are difficult to be distinguished from those due to social restrictions.

Psychiatric and neurological complications of long COVID

COVID-19 was primarily considered a pulmonary disease with extrapulmonary manifestations. As the pandemic spread, there has been growing evidence that the disease affects various organs/systems, including the central and peripheral nervous systems. Accumulation of clinical data demonstrates that in a large population of survivors impairments in the function of one or more organs may persist for a long time, a phenomenon commonly known as post COVID or long COVID. Fatigue and cognitive dysfunction, such as concentration problems, short-term memory deficits, general memory loss, a specific decline in attention, language and praxis abilities, encoding and verbal fluency, impairment of executive functions, and psychomotor coordination, are amongst the most common and debilitating features of neuropsychatric symptoms of post COVID syndrome. Several patients also suffer from compromised sleep, depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder. Patients with long COVID may demonstrate brain hypometabolism, hypoperfusion of the cerebral cortex and changes in the brain structure and functional connectivity. Children and adolescents represent a minority of COVID-19 cases, so not surprisingly data on the long-term sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infections in these age groups are scarce. Although the pathogenesis, clinical characteristics, epidemiology, and risk factors of the acute phase of COVID-19 have been largely explained, these areas are yet to be explored in long COVID. This review aims to provide an update on what is currently known about long COVID effects on mental health.

Impact of COVID 19 on erectile function

Purpose: COVID-19, a novel infection, presented with several complications, including socioeconomical and reproductive health challenges such as erectile dysfunction (ED). The present review summarizes the available shreds of evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on ED.Materials and methods: All published peer-reviewed articles from the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak to date, relating to ED, were reviewed. Results: Available pieces of evidence that ED is a consequence of COVID-19 are convincing. COVID-19 and ED share common risk factors such as disruption of vascular integrity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cytokine storm, diabetes, obesity, and chronic kidney disease (CKD). COVID-19 also induces impaired pulmonary haemodynamics, increased ang II, testicular damage and low serum testosterone, and reduced arginine-dependent NO bioavailability that promotes reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and endothelial dysfunction, resulting in ED. In addition, COVID-19 triggers psychological/mental stress and suppresses testosterone-dependent dopamine concentration, which contributes to incident ED.Conclusions: In conclusion, COVID-19 exerts a detrimental effect on male reproductive function, including erectile function. This involves a cascade of events from multiple pathways. As the pandemic dwindles, identifying the long-term effects of COVID-19-induced ED, and proffering adequate and effective measures in militating against COVID-19-induced ED remains pertinent.

Musculoskeletal complications in long COVID-19: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has crippled humanity since early 2020. Various sequelae of COVID-19 have been reported in different body systems. Musculoskeletal symptoms are widely reported during COVID-19 infection, but musculoskeletal complications in long COVID-19 are underreported. However, post-COVID-19 survivors have reported complaints of persisting or new-onset fatigue, myalgia, arthralgia, arthritis, muscle weakness, etc in clinical practice. The well-known detrimental effects of steroids on the musculoskeletal system coupled with their over-the-counter availability can also be anticipated since they were the cornerstone of life-saving management in this pandemic.

AIM

To determine the musculoskeletal complications in long COVID.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of ‘systematic reviews and meta-analyses’.

RESULTS

Of the 63 articles screened, 24 articles were included. Two articles specifically discussed children and adolescents. One article discussed rehabilitation intervention. No article addressed rehabilitation of musculoskeletal issues in long COVID-19 in particular. Fatigue was the most common musculoskeletal complication.

CONCLUSION

Fatigue is found to be very common along with myalgia and arthralgia. There were no studies on rehabilitation intervention in musculoskeletal complications specifically. Considering the lacuna in literature and the needs of the current situation, further studies are warranted to standardize effective rehabilitation interventions in musculoskeletal complications. More homogenous studies are needed. Studies on functional impairment due to musculoskeletal involvement are essential.

Skewed fate and hematopoiesis of CD34+ HSPCs in umbilical cord blood amid the COVID-19 pandemic

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an irreplaceable source for hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination on UCB phenotype, specifically the HSPCs therein, are currently unknown. We thus evaluated any effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection and/or COVID-19 vaccination from the mother on the fate and functionalities of HSPCs in the UCB. The numbers and frequencies of HSPCs in the UCB decreased significantly in donors with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection and more so with COVID-19 vaccination via the induction of apoptosis, likely mediated by IFN-γ-dependent pathways. Two independent hematopoiesis assays, a colony forming unit assay and a mouse humanization assay, revealed skewed hematopoiesis of HSPCs obtained from donors delivered from mothers with SARS-CoV-2 infection history. These results indicate that SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination impair the functionalities and survivability of HSPCs in the UCB, which would make unprecedented concerns on the future of HSPC-based therapies.

What is the quality of life in patients with long COVID compared to a healthy control group?

Introduction

Many patients have prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 infection, which can affect patient quality of life (QOL). The aim of this study is to determine the quality of life in patients with long COVID, compared with healthy controls.

Material and methods

The study was a prospective cross-sectional study using an anonymous online survey. The SF-36 questionnaire was chosen for quality of life measurement. The survey was distributed through the Facebook social media platform targeting groups of patients with long COVID. The control group was made up of physiotherapy and physical education students.

Results

There was a significant difference in physical function, with a mean score of 94.9 (±9.4) among the students, compared to long COVID patients with a mean score of 66.2 (±25.4) (p < 0.001). A similar result was found in the physical role (p < 0.001). The overall quality of life score for college students was 578.0 (±111.9), and the overall score for patients with long COVID was 331.9 (±126.9).

Conclusions

Patients with long COVID had a lower quality of life compared to the healthy control group, and this was associated with the negative effect of long-COVID. Lower quality of life in patients with long COVID is an important therapeutic goal, which requires attention.

Scoping review of rehabilitation care models for post COVID-19 condition

Objective

To systematically map the current evidence about the characteristics of health systems, providers and patients to design rehabilitation care for post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) condition.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review by searching the databases: MEDLINE®, Embase®, Web of Science, Cochrane COVID-19 Registry and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, from inception to 22 April 2022. The search strategy included terms related to (i) post COVID-19 condition and other currently known terminologies; (ii) care models and pathways; and (iii) rehabilitation. We applied no language or study design restrictions. Two pairs of researchers independently screened title, abstracts and full-text articles and extracted data. We charted the evidence according to five topics: (i) care model components and functions; (ii) safe delivery of rehabilitation; (iii) referral principles; (iv) service delivery settings; and (v) health-care professionals.

Findings

We screened 13 753 titles and abstracts, read 154 full-text articles, and included 37 articles. The current evidence is conceptual and expert based. Care model components included multidisciplinary teams, continuity or coordination of care, people-centred care and shared decision-making between clinicians and patients. Care model functions included standardized symptoms assessment, telehealth and virtual care and follow-up system. Rehabilitation services were integrated at all levels of a health system from primary care to tertiary hospital-based care. Health-care workers delivering services within a multidisciplinary team included mostly physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists.

Conclusion

Key policy messages include implementing a multilevel and multiprofessional model; leveraging country health systems' strengths and learning from other conditions; financing rehabilitation research providing standardized outcomes; and guidance to increase patient safety.

Relationship between the severity of persistent symptoms, physical fitness, and cardiopulmonary function in post-COVID-19 condition. A population-based analysis

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between physical fitness, cardiopulmonary function and patient-reported severity of symptoms in people with post-COVID-19 condition. We examined ambulatory patients (n = 72) with post-COVID-19 condition who had a chronic symptomatic phase lasting > 12 weeks from the onset of symptoms, but had not been hospitalized for acute COVID-19. A comprehensive medical screening was conducted, including clinical history, symptomatology, comorbidities, body composition and physical activity levels. We then identified the relationship between physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength), cardiopulmonary function (echocardiographic and spirometry parameters) and patient-reported severity of symptoms (fatigue, dyspnea, health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression). Age, body mass index, sex, number of comorbidities and duration of symptoms were included as potential confounders. Results showed that greater physical fitness and cardiopulmonary function were associated with lower severity of symptoms in people with post-COVID-19 condition. Cardiorespiratory fitness, lower-limb muscle strength, maximal voluntary ventilation and left ventricular ejection fraction account for reducing fatigue and dyspnea. Greater physical activity levels were associated with fewer symptoms and less-severe fatigue and dyspnea. In conclusion, preserving better cardiopulmonary health and physical condition during the course of the disease-even in mild cases-was related to a lower intensity of symptoms in non-hospitalized people with post-COVID-19 condition. It is probable that exercise and physical conditioning are valuable pre- and post-COVID-19 countermeasures that could help decrease the severity, not only of acute infection, but of post-COVID-19 persistent symptoms and prognosis.

Medications for early treatment of COVID-19 in Australia

Early treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections can prevent hospitalisation and death in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who have one or more risk factors for serious COVID-19 progression. While early treatment presents a range of logistical challenges, clinicians are nevertheless aided by a growing number of approved medications for early treatment of COVID-19. Medications include drugs that inhibit SARS-CoV-2 viral replication, anti-SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibody formulations that provide passive immunisation, and immunomodulatory drugs that suppress the body's inflammatory response. Several drugs with different modes of action are approved in Australia for early treatment of COVID-19, including nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir, molnupiravir, and monoclonal antibody formulations. Although these drugs are recommended, clinicians are encouraged to remain up to date on current indications, contraindications and the clinical efficacy of these drugs against SARS-CoV-2 variants currently circulating in communities. Other treatments, including hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin and dietary supplements, have been popularised but are not recommended for early treatment of COVID-19. As new drugs and new data on use of existing approved drugs become available, clinicians face a growing challenge in determining the optimal treatments from the array of options. As it stands, early treatment of COVID-19 needs to be individualised depending on age, pregnancy status, existing medications, and renal and liver disease status. Future treatments in development might have roles in patients with lower risk profiles and in reducing transmission as we learn to live with SARS-CoV-2.

Clinical Characteristics of Hospital Follow-up for Patients Hospitalized from SARS CoV-2 (COVID 19) in an Academic Outpatient Internal Medicine Clinic

Background:

As of July 2022, there have been more than 91.3 million cases of COVID-19 and nearly 1.03 million deaths in the United States alone. In addition, many people who survived COVID-19 had long-term symptoms, such as fatigue, dyspnea, loss of smell and taste, depression, and anxiety.

Objectives:

The purpose of our study is to evaluate the status of COVID-19 patients who were previously hospitalized.

Methods:

We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and its affiliated University Medical Center under IRB of L21-144. We included all patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and followed up in our Internal Medicine Clinic at any time between April 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021, and reviewed follow-up data for these patients after discharge.

Results:

A total of 128 patients were included; 59 (46%) were men, and 69 (54%) were women with an average age of 59.7 ± 14.8 years. Most of the patients (n = 78, 60.9%) identified their race as Hispanic or Latino origin; the next largest group was Caucasian (n = 29, 22.65%). The average number of days until post-hospitalization follow-up was 36 ± 38 days. The 50% of the patients (n = 64) used telemedicine for follow-up visits. Important comorbidities in these patients included diabetes (n = 84, 65.6%) and hypertension (n = 94, 73.4%). Thirty-four patients (26.6%) reported respiratory symptoms at their follow-up appointments, 24 patients (18.8%) reported constitutional symptoms, 12 patients (9.4%) reported GI symptoms, and 25 patients (19.5%) reported other symptoms, such as paresthesia, lower extremity edema, or psychological symptoms. After hospital discharge, 54 patients had follow-up chest x-rays, and 41 (75.9%) still had abnormal findings consistent with COVID-19 imaging characteristics. Follow-up laboratory tests identified 44 patients (77.2%, 57 tested) with elevated D-dimer levels, 44 patients (78.6%, 56 tested) with high ferritin levels, and 21patients (35.6%, 59 tested) with elevated troponin T HS levels.

Conclusion:

Long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms in these patients included respiratory symptoms (26.6%), constitutional symptoms (18.8%), GI symptoms (9.4%), and other symptoms, such as paresthesia, lower extremity edema, or psychological symptoms (19.5%). The rate of telehealth follow-up was 50%. Many patients had elevated inflammatory markers that will need follow up to determine the clinical implications.

Chronic Endothelial Dysfunction after COVID-19 Infection Shown by Transcranial Color-Coded Doppler: A Cross-Sectional Study

In addition to respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 often causes damage to many other organs, especially in severe forms of the disease. Long-term consequences after COVID-19 are common and often have neurological symptoms. Cerebral vasoreactivity may be impaired after acute COVID-19 and in our study, we wanted to show how constant and reversible are the changes in brain vasoreactivity after infection. This cross-sectional observational study included 49 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and mild neurological symptoms 300 days after the onset of the disease. We used a transcranial color-coded Doppler (TCCD) and a breath-holding test (BHT) to examine cerebral vasoreactivity and brain endothelial function. We analyzed the parameters of the flow rate through the middle cerebral artery (MCA): peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), mean velocity (MV), resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI), and we calculated the breath-holding index (BHI). Subjects after COVID-19 infection had lower measured velocity parameters through MCA at rest period and after BHT, lower relative increases of flow velocities after BHT, and lower BHI. We showed that subjects, 300 days after COVID-19, still have impaired cerebral vasoreactivity measured by TCCD and they have chronic endothelial dysfunction.

A cross-sectional study on the mental health of patients with COVID-19 1 year after discharge in Huanggang, China

OBJECTIVE

This study is aimed to investigate the mental health status of COVID-19 survivors 1 year after discharge from hospital and reveal the related risk factors.

METHODS

From April 11 to May 11, 2021, 566 COVID-19 survivors in Huanggang city were recruited through their primary doctors. A total of 535 participants (94.5%) admitted to participate in the survey and completed the questionnaires. Five scales were applied including 7-Items Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Impact of Event Scale-Revised, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Fatigue Scale-14. The chi-square and the Fisher's exact test were used to evaluate the classification data, multivariate logistic regression was used to explore the related factors of sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

RESULTS

One year after being discharged, of the 535 COVID-19 survivors, 252 (47.1%) had poor sleep quality; 157 (29.3%) had the symptoms of fatigue; 84 (15.7%),112 (20.9%), and 130 (24.3%) suffered from symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD, respectively. The logistic regression analysis showed that history of chronic disease was risk factor for poor sleep quality (OR 2.501; 95% CI, 1.618-3.866), fatigue (OR 3.284; 95% CI 2.143-5.033), PTSD (OR 2.323; 95% CI 1.431-3.773) and depression (OR 1.950; 95% CI 1.106-3.436) in COVID-19 survivors. Smoking contributed to the poor sleep quality (OR 2.005; 95% CI 1.044-3.850), anxiety (OR 4.491; 95% CI 2.276-8.861) and depression (OR 5.459; 95% CI 2.651-11.239) in survivors. Drinking influenced fatigue (OR 2.783; 95% CI 1.331-5.819) and PTSD (OR 4.419; 95% CI 1.990-9.814) in survivors. Compared with college-educated survivors, survivors with high school education were at higher risk for poor sleep quality (OR 1.828; 95% CI 1.050-3.181) and PTSD (OR 2.521; 95% CI 1.316-4.830), and survivors with junior high school education were at higher risk for PTSD (OR 2.078; 95% CI 1.039-4.155). Compared with overweight survivors (BMI ≥ 23.0), survivors with normal BMI (18.5-22.9) (OR 0.600; 95% CI 0.405-0.889) were at lower risk for fatigue. While being housewife (OR 0.390; 95% CI 0.189-0.803) was protective factor for fatigue and having more family members was protective factor for PTSD (OR 0.404 95% CI 0.250-0.653) in survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

One year after infection, poor sleep quality, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and PTSD, still existed in a relatively high proportion of COVID-19 survivors. Chronic disease history was an independent risk factor for poor sleep quality, fatigue, depression, and PTSD. Participants with low education levels were more likely to have mental problems than the others. We should focus on the long-term psychological impact of COVID-19 on survivors, and the government should apply appropriate mental health services to offer psychiatric support.

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.

Characteristics of long-COVID among older adults: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To describe long-COVID symptoms among older adults and to assess the risk factors for two common long-COVID symptoms: fatigue and dyspnea.

METHODS

This is a multicenter, prospective cohort study conducted in Israel, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. Individuals were included at least 30 days after their COVID-19 diagnosis. We compared long-COVID symptoms between elderly (aged >65 years) and younger individuals (aged 18-65 years) and conducted univariate and multivariable analyses for the predictors of long-COVID fatigue and dyspnea.

RESULTS

A total of 2333 individuals were evaluated at an average of 5 months (146 days [95% confidence interval 142-150]) after COVID-19 onset. The mean age was 51 years, and 20.5% were aged >65 years. Older adults were more likely to be symptomatic, with the most common symptoms being fatigue (38%) and dyspnea (30%); they were more likely to complain of cough and arthralgia and have abnormal chest imaging and pulmonary function tests. Independent risk factors for long-COVID fatigue and dyspnea included female gender, obesity, and closer proximity to COVID-19 diagnosis; older age was not an independent predictor.

CONCLUSION

Older individuals with long-COVID have different persisting symptoms, with more pronounced pulmonary impairment. Women and individuals with obesity are at risk. Further research is warranted to investigate the natural history of long-COVID among the elderly population and to assess possible interventions aimed at promoting rehabilitation and well-being.

Mucormycosis in pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 era: A study of prevalence, risk factors and clinical features

Objective

Mucormycosis is a rare yet devastating fungal disease with a frequently fatal outcome. The purpose of this study was to compare the prevalence of mucormycosis, evaluate its risk factors, and assess the patients' outcomes in pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 era.

Methods

In this retrospective observational study, clinical data of 158 patients with confirmed histopathological diagnosis of mucormycosis were collected from the medical records departments of Imam Reza and Ghaem hospitals, Mashhad, Iran during 2018-2021. The collected data were risk factors associated with mucormycosis including age, gender, underlying diseases, details of corticosteroid administration, and complications such as blindness and mortality.

Results

Of 158 studied patients, 48 patients were diagnosed in the pre-pandemic period whereas 110 cases were admitted during the pandemic era. COVID-19 associated mucormycosis (CAM) was observed in 58.1% of the pandemic cases. In the pre-pandemic period, cancer (89.5% vs. 39%, p < .001) was significantly more prevalent while during the pandemic era, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (16.7% vs. 51%, p < .001) was remarkably higher. Moreover, the mortality rate of mucormycosis was considerably reduced after the pandemic (64.6%-45.4%), especially in CAM patients (35.9%).

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased prevalence of mucormycosis, due to the convergence of interlinked risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, corticosteroid therapy, and COVID-19. Therefore, clinicians must be aware of the probable occurrence of mucormycosis in the first or second week of COVID-19 infection in vulnerable patients and use the steroids cautiously.

Level of evidence

4 Laryngoscope Investigative Otolaryngology, 2022.