Vormen de fysieke en psychosociale symptomen van long-Covid een syndroom? Een cross-sectioneel patiëntenonderzoek

Abstract

Do the physical and psychosocial symptoms post-COVID constitute a syndrome? A cross-sectional patient survey COVID-19 also has long-term health implications. The number of reports of people having persisting symptoms is increasing, but the characteristics of a COVID-19 syndrome are unknown. The aim is to assess the presentation of physical and psychological symptoms post-COVID in patients who experienced mild to moderate COVID-19, and to investigate to which extent these constitute a syndrome. A cross-sectional survey, distributed via social media groups of long-COVID sufferers, was conducted. The eligibility criteria were: aged 18 years or older, a history of COVID-19 and the first symptoms of COVID-19 had to be older than 6 weeks. Primary outcome measures are the prevalence of persisting symptoms 3 and 6 months after a COVID-19 infection to identify a post-COVID syndrome. A secondary outcome measure are the patient characteristics associated with persisting symptoms 3 months post-COVID. 787 respondents consented and 539 completed the survey. 471 (87%) participants are female and 259 (49%) are between the age of 36 and 50 years. The most frequently reported symptoms after 6 months are fatigue (52%), decreased concentration and cognitive function (42%), muscle complaints (42%), dyspnoea (39%), sleeping problems (35%), mood swings (20%), depressed mood (19%) and anxiety (18%). A post-COVID syndrome cannot be described. Only the female gender is associated with an increase in the number of symptoms post-COVID. We see a high prevalence of persistent symptoms 3 and 6 months post-COVID. However, despite the high prevalence of symptoms, our analyses do not identify a post-COVID-19 syndrome.