A longitudinal study on symptom duration and 60-day clinical course in non-hospitalised COVID-19 cases in Berlin, Germany, March to May, 2020

Abstract

Background Detailed information on symptom duration and temporal course of patients with mild COVID-19 was scarce at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim We aimed to determine the longitudinal course of clinical symptoms in non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients in Berlin, Germany. Methods Between March and May 2020, 102 confirmed COVID-19 cases in home isolation notified in Berlin, Germany, were sampled using total population sampling. Data on 25 symptoms were collected during telephone consultations (a maximum of four consultations) with each patient. We collected information on prevalence and duration of symptoms for each day of the first 2 weeks after symptom onset and for day 30 and 60 after symptom onset. Results Median age was 35 years (range 18–74), 57% (58/102) were female, and 37% (38/102) reported having comorbidities. During the first 2 weeks, most common symptoms were malaise (94%, 92/98), headache (71%, 70/98), and rhinitis (69%, 68/98). Malaise was present for a median of 11 days (IQR 7–14 days) with 35% (34/98) of cases still reporting malaise on day 14. Headache and muscle pain mostly occurred during the first week, whereas dysosmia and dysgeusia mostly occurred during the second week. Symptoms persisted in 41% (39/95) and 20% (18/88) of patients on day 30 and 60, respectively. Conclusion Our study shows that a significant proportion of non-hospitalised COVID-19 cases endured symptoms for at least 2 months. Further research is needed to assess the frequency of long-term adverse health effects in non-hospitalised COVID-19 patients.

Symptom Experience and Perceived Health Status of People With Long COVID in Thailand

“…In terms of symptom duration, the participants in this study reported that three specific symptoms (continence, pain, and cognition) under the severity subscale and two symptoms (sleeping problems and itching) under the additional symptom subscale lasted for a duration of 6 months. Other studies have also reported similar findings for the participants who initially had COVID-19 infection before the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, such as fatigue lasting for 2 months (Saad et al, 2021), 6 months (Blomberg et al, 2021), and even up to 11 months (Silverberg et al, 2022), while dyspnea lasted for 2 months (Saad et al, 2021). The duration of long COVID symptoms may be due to the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on different pathogenesis mechanisms, such as immunology, virology, vascular tissue, neurological and cognitive systems, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal system (Davis et al, 2023).…”

Associations of Country-Specific and Sociodemographic Factors With Self-Reported COVID-19–Related Symptoms: Multivariable Analysis of Data From the CoronaCheck Mobile Health Platform

“…Our findings regarding the occurrence of common symptoms, such as headache, general weakness, and runny nose, are consistent with previous studies. Specifically, previous studies in individuals infected with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 have shown that fatigue, headache, malaise, myalgia, and upper respiratory symptoms (sore throat, cough, sneezing, rhinitis) occur early after symptom onset, whereas symptoms considered more characteristic of COVID-19, such as lower respiratory and chemosensory symptoms, occur later [ 17 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Complications Post-COVID-19 and Risk Factors among Patients after Six Months of a SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study

“…Soraas and co-authors 2021 [56] analyzed a cohort of non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and found 36% reported worse health status one year after illness. Persistent symptoms in cohorts of non-hospitalized patients presented large variations in this percentage, ranging from 20% to 61%, possible due to differences in the duration of follow-up, age and sex distributions, and sample sizes [57,58].…”