TY - JOUR
T1 - Initial symptoms and three months follow-up after acute COVID-19 in outpatients
T2 - An international prospective cohort study
AU - Hedin, Katarina
AU - van der Velden, Alike W.
AU - Hansen, Malene Plejdrup
AU - Moberg, Anna B.
AU - Balan, Anca
AU - Bruno, Pascale
AU - Coenen, Samuel
AU - Johansen, Eskild
AU - Kowalczyk, Anna
AU - Kurotschka, Peter Konstantin
AU - van der Linde, Sanne R.
AU - Malania, Lile
AU - Rohde, Jörn
AU - Verbakel, Jan
AU - Vornhagen, Heike
AU - Vellinga, Akke
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - BACKGROUND: Most studies on long-term follow-up of patients with COVID-19 focused on hospitalised patients. No prospective study with structured follow-up has been performed in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19.OBJECTIVES: To assess long-COVID and post-COVID (WHO definition: symptomatic at least 12 weeks), describe lingering symptoms, their impact on daily activities, and general practice visits and explore risk factors for symptom duration in outpatients.METHODS: A prospective study of adult outpatients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 in 11 European countries, recruited during 2020 and 2021 from primary care and the community. Structured follow-up by phone interviews (symptom rating, symptom impact on daily activities and general practice visits) was performed at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12 by study personnel. Data was analysed descriptively by using correlation matrixes and Cox regression.RESULTS: Of 270 enrolled patients, 52% developed long-COVID and 32% post-COVID-syndrome. When only considering the presence of moderate or (very) severe symptoms at weeks 8 and 12, these percentages were 28% and 18%, respectively. Fatigue was the most often reported symptom during follow-up. The impact of lingering symptoms was most evident in sports and household activities. About half (53%) had at least one general practice contact during follow-up. Obese patients took twice as long to return to usual health (HR: 0.5, 95%CI: 0.3-0.8); no other risk profile could predict lingering symptoms.CONCLUSION: Long-COVID and post-COVID are also common in outpatients. In 32%, it takes more than 12 weeks to return to usual health.
AB - BACKGROUND: Most studies on long-term follow-up of patients with COVID-19 focused on hospitalised patients. No prospective study with structured follow-up has been performed in non-hospitalised patients with COVID-19.OBJECTIVES: To assess long-COVID and post-COVID (WHO definition: symptomatic at least 12 weeks), describe lingering symptoms, their impact on daily activities, and general practice visits and explore risk factors for symptom duration in outpatients.METHODS: A prospective study of adult outpatients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptoms consistent with COVID-19 in 11 European countries, recruited during 2020 and 2021 from primary care and the community. Structured follow-up by phone interviews (symptom rating, symptom impact on daily activities and general practice visits) was performed at weeks 2, 4, 8, and 12 by study personnel. Data was analysed descriptively by using correlation matrixes and Cox regression.RESULTS: Of 270 enrolled patients, 52% developed long-COVID and 32% post-COVID-syndrome. When only considering the presence of moderate or (very) severe symptoms at weeks 8 and 12, these percentages were 28% and 18%, respectively. Fatigue was the most often reported symptom during follow-up. The impact of lingering symptoms was most evident in sports and household activities. About half (53%) had at least one general practice contact during follow-up. Obese patients took twice as long to return to usual health (HR: 0.5, 95%CI: 0.3-0.8); no other risk profile could predict lingering symptoms.CONCLUSION: Long-COVID and post-COVID are also common in outpatients. In 32%, it takes more than 12 weeks to return to usual health.
KW - COVID-19
KW - daily activities
KW - lingering symptoms
KW - long-COVID
KW - post-COVID
KW - primary care
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146987977&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13814788.2022.2154074
DO - 10.1080/13814788.2022.2154074
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36655704
SN - 1381-4788
VL - 29
JO - European Journal of General Practice
JF - European Journal of General Practice
IS - 2
M1 - 2154074
ER -