Post-COVID syndrome

Abstract

The aim is to study the frequency and symptoms of post-COVID syndrome in patients with pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2, who were treated in an outpatient setting. Materials and methods. Personal monitoring results of the health state of 62 patients who suffered pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 and were treated in the outpatient setting between May 2020 and September 2021 were analyzed. The patients were divided into 3 clinical groups depending on age, concomitant diseases, and extent of the process in the lungs. The examination results were processed on a personal computer using the statistical package Statistica program, version 10. Results. The prevalence of post-COVID syndrome with the symptoms that characterize it is significantly higher in patients who have not been vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine, who have suffered pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 of a moderate-to-severe course with the process extent in the lungs from 25 % to 50 %, with its repeated cases, regardless of age and the presence of concomitant pathologies. Prolonged COVID-19 (early post-COVID syndrome) and post-COVID syndrome are main complications of COVID-19 with the most common symptoms such as general fatigue, depression, impaired memory concentration, sleep disorder, myalgia/arthralgia. Conclusions. Even a mild course of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 is accompanied by post-COVID syndrome, which requires long-term supervision and practice of rehabilitation techniques for such patients. Treatment of pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 with the moderate-to-severe course in outpatient conditions leads to an increase in the frequency and severity of the post-COVID syndrome course. Vaccination with a vaccine against COVID-19 to prevent the development of a severe course of pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 remains an urgent issue. Identified dental manifestations (stomatitis, periodontitis, and periodontal disease) should be considered by dentists in the early period of post-COVID syndrome, and dental pathology examination should be continued during the treatment of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 in post-COVID syndrome.