Fatigue and quality-of-life in the year following SARS-Cov2 infection

Abstract

Background The SARS-COV2 pandemic has been ongoing worldwide since at least 2 years. In severe cases, this infection triggers acute respiratory distress syndrome and quasi-systemic damage with a wide range of symptoms. Long-term physical and psychological consequences of this infection are therefore naturally present among these patients. The aim of this study was to describe the state of health of these patients at 6 (M6) and 12 months (M12) after infection onset, and compare quality-of-life (QOL) and fatigue at these time-points. Methods A prospective cohort study was set up at Reims University Hospital. Patients were clinically assessed at M6 and M12. Three scores were calculated to describe patient’s status: the modified Medical Research Council score (mMRC) used to determine dyspnoea state, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) and the Short Form 12 (SF12) that was carried out to determine the QOL both mentally and physically (MCS12 and PCS12). Descriptive analysis and comparison of scores between M6 and M12 were made. Results 120 patients completed both follow-up consultations. Overall, about 40% of the patients presented dyspnoea symptoms. The median mMRC score was 1 Interquartile ranges (IQR) = [0–2] at the two assessment. Concerning FSS scores, 35% and 44% of patients experienced fatigue at both follow-ups. The two scores of SF12 were lower than the general population standard scores. The mean PCS12 score was 42.85 (95% confidence interval (95% CI [41.05–44.65])) and mean MCS12 score of 46.70 (95% CI [45.34–48.06]) at 6 months. At 12 months, the mean PCS12 score was 42.18 (95% confidence interval (95% CI [40.46–43.89])) and mean MCS12 score of 47.13 (95% CI [45.98–48.28]). No difference was found between SF12 scores at 6 and 12 months. Conclusions This study pinpoints the persistence of fatigue and a low mental and physical QOL compared to population norms even after 1 year following infection. It also supports the claims of mental or psychological alterations due to infection by this new virus, hence a lower overall QOL in patients.

Association between long COVID, functional activity, and health-related quality of life in older adults

“…The relatively high regression coefficient for the fatigue severity suggests that this may have a greater impact on overall HRQoL than other symptoms. A significant impact of fatigue on the HRQoL has been reported in previous studies in younger populations [ 41 , 42 ] as well and suggested early monitoring of fatigue and its associated symptoms in post-COVID-19 survivors [ 42 ]. Fatigue has been recognized as one of the most disabling complaints in individuals recovered from coronavirus infection [ 43 ].…”

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) impact quality of life at 6, 12 and 18 months post-infection

“…This data extend to 18 months previously reported PASC symptoms and associations with QoL measures at earlier time points. [7][8][9][10][11] Fatigue, brain fog, nasal congestion and discharge, headache, sleep disturbances, and body aches were the most common symptoms. Neurological, mood, and systemic symptoms persisted in over half of participants surveyed at 18 months post-COVID-19.…”

Reflexões Sobre a Atuação Do Samu 192 Na Educação Em Saúde

“…Aproximadamente 20% das pessoas infectadas apresentam quadros graves da doença e necessitam de hospitalização, geralmente com quadros de pneumonia, evoluindo, entre outros casos, à síndrome respiratória aguda grave (Chen et al, 2020;WHO, 2022b;Zeiser et al, 2022;Zhu et al, 2020). Além disso, alguns sinais e sintomas, como confusão mental, anosmia e disgeusia podem ser persistentes em algumas pessoas que tiveram COVID-19, porém o porquê de isso acontecer ainda é incerto e debatido na literatura (Noujaim et al, 2022).…”