Symptoms Experienced at the Acute Phase of SARS-CoV-2 Infection as Risk Factor of Long-term Post-COVID Symptoms: The LONG-COVID-EXP-CM Multicenter Study. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fernández-de-las-Peñas, César; Pellicer-Valero, Oscar J.; Navarro-Pardo, Esperanza; Palacios-Ceña, Domingo; Florencio, Lidiane L.; Guijarro, Carlos; Martín-Guerrero, José D.
• Is Part Of: International journal of infectious diseases. Volume 116(2022)
• Page Start: 241
• Page End: 244
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- persistent -- symptoms -- risk factors -- acute phase; Communicable diseases -- Periodicals; Communicable Diseases -- Periodicals; Communicable diseases; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.9
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.01.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1201-9712

Abstract

Highlights: - This multicentre study included 1, 969 COVID-19 hospitalized patients. - A higher number of onset symptoms were associated with more symptoms after COVID - Dyspnea and headache symptoms at onset are associated with symptoms after COVID. Abstract: Objective: This multicenter study investigated clinical risk factors associated with the number of long-term symptoms after COVID. Methods: Clinical features, symptoms at hospital admission, hospitalization data, and the number of symptoms after COVID was systematically assessed for patients who recovered from COVID-19 in 4 hospitals in Madrid (Spain) from February 20 to May 31, 2020. Results: Overall, 1, 969 patients (46.5% women, age: 61, SD: 16 years) were randomly assessed 8.4 months (SD 1.5) after hospital discharge. Female gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.57-2.10), number of morbidities (OR 1.182, 95% CI 1.08-1.29), number of symptoms at hospital admission (OR 1.309, 95% CI 1.15-1.49) and days at the hospital (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.007-1.017) were associated (all, p <0.001) with more long-term symptoms after COVID. Further, vomiting (OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.26-2.52), throat pain (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.02-1.81), diarrhea (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.25-1.82), dyspnea (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.01-1.41), or headache (OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.28-1.75) as symptoms at hospital admission were also associated (all, p <0.01) with a higher number of symptoms after COVID. Conclusion: This multicenter study found that a higher number of symptoms at hospital admission were the most relevant risk factor for developing more symptoms after COVID, supporting the assumption that a higher symptom load at the acute phase is associated with a greater likelihood of long-term symptoms after COVID.