Post-Covid Symptoms and Quality of Life among Covid-19 Survivors

Abstract

The study aimed to identify the post-COVID symptoms and quality of life of COVID-19 survivors. A descriptive survey design was adopted. A cohort of 200 participants who sought treatment from Govt Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, was selected by purposive sampling technique based on sampling criteria. Tools included socio-personal and clinical variables, post-COVID symptoms checklist, and a standardised tool euro Qol 5D -5L tool. The relationship between QoL of COVID-19 survivors with post-COVID symptoms was tested with an independent t-test and the relationship between QoL of COVID-19 survivors with selected variables tested with ANOVA and independent t-test. The mean index score of QoL was 0.839. Among the study participants, 69.5 percent had fatigue, 61.5 percent had palpitation, and 49.5 percent had numbness as major post-COVID symptoms. A significant association was found between quality of life and post-COVID symptoms (shortness of breath, cough, palpitation, chest pain, discoloration of finger and toe, swelling of foot, fatigue, headache, weakness, numbness, rashes, vision problems, muscle/joint pain, urinary elimination issues, decreased sleep, and anxiety). A significant relationship was found between quality of life and education, category of COVID-19 infection, and institutionalisation during COVID-19 infection. The study concluded that quality of life is compromised among COVID-19 survivors. Thus, healthcare professionals must adopt a more individualised approach towards survivors of COVID-19 for symptom management, health promotion, meeting specific psychosocial needs, and surveillance for recurrence and specific late effects of infection with a view to adding life to days rather than days to life.