A survey of post COVID-19 symptoms from the perspective of traditional medicine

Abstract

Background: Individuals experiencing post-COVID-19 syndrome may endure lingering health deterioration, leading to challenges in daily activities and impacting mental and physical health, thus potentially burdening themselves, their families, and society. According to traditional medicine (TM), post-COVID-19 represents a recovery period following the flu in COVID. At this stage, the body remains incompletely restored, characterized by depleted vital energy and damaged body fluids, thus affecting the functions of various organ systems. To comprehensively understand post-COVID-19 symptoms from the perspective of traditional medicine and offer valuable insights for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention, this study conducted a survey of post-COVID-19 symptoms using the latent tree model. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Data were collected through direct interviews with 282 post-COVID-19 patients over three months at the Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Medicine Hospital from January 2023 to May 2023. Results: Among the collected samples, 38 post-COVID-19 symptoms were recorded, with the five most common symptoms being forgetfulness (58.2%), fatigue (47.5%), hair loss (42.6%), sleep disorders (25.9%), and shortness of breath (25.5%). Analysis using a latent tree model unveiled that within the kidney viscera, forgetfulness and hair loss emerged as primary symptoms, accompanied by tinnitus, anxiety, and hearing impairment. In the spleen viscera, fatigue prevailed as the main symptom, alongside muscle soreness, abdominal fullness, diarrhea, and constipation. In the lung viscera, shortness of breath was identified as the predominant symptom, accompanied by rapid breathing, coughing, breathing difficulties, and a sore throat. In the liver viscera, insomnia was the most perceived symptom, with secondary symptoms including anxiety, headache, and dizziness. In the heart viscera, primary symptoms included attention disorders and insomnia, with secondary symptoms being chest tightness. Conclusion: The most common symptoms observed were forgetfulness, fatigue, hair loss, sleep disorders, and shortness of breath. Post-COVID-19 symptoms affect all five visceras according to traditional medicine. Key words: Post COVID-19 symptoms; Traditional Medicine; Latent tree model.