Long lasting symptoms of dyspnea, cough and fatigue after COVID-19 – narrative review of epidemiological studies

Marciniak, Ewa; Górniak, Anna; Hanke, Wojciech

doi:10.13075/mp.5893.01190

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…The presence of chronic diseases like diabetes or hypertension may increase the severity of LC symptoms. In a study, conducted by Marciniak et al it was stated that a month after having been discharged from the hospital, patients with diabetes and hypertension suffered a higher incidence rate of symptoms involving cough and chronic fatigue [18]. Furthermore, among university communities (teachers, administration staff, students), during the COVID-19 pandemic, the severity of musculoskeletal problems has significantly increased.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long COVID and its mental health manifestations – the review of literature.

Pietrzak,

Hanke

2024

Int J Occup Med Environ Health.

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This article aims to present the overview of the situation during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic about issues concerning the prevalence of mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, rate of suicide attempts, and long COVID (LC) infections in the general population during COVID-19 pandemic. Analysis of the literature (in English, Polish and Spanish language) on topics related to COVID-19, mental disorders (suicide attempts, depression, anxiety) and LC infection published during the 4 years (2020–2023) was done using Pubmed and PubMed Central search engine. Keywords such as “COVID-19,” “mental disorders,” “long COVID infection,” “depression,” “anxiety,” “suicide attempts” were used during the search. The conduct of this review/comment followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol, which corresponds to a checklist of 27 items designed to facilitate the development and reporting of a robust protocol for systematic reviews or meta-analyses. Overall 35 studies were selected and analyzed in the review on topics: including among others LC (14 studies), suicide attempts (7 studies), mental disorders (depression, anxiety) (14 studies). The main issues raised in the articles were: higher risk of LC symptoms in women, fatigue and brain fog listed as frequently encountered patient's complaints together with anxiety, depression, loneliness, especially in younger age groups and in women. Issues regarding LC, mental disorders and suicide attempts requires further research as the results vary in different countries. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2024;37(3):–80

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The long COVID and its mental health manifestations – the review of literature.

Pietrzak,

Hanke

2024

Int J Occup Med Environ Health.

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“…The spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) resulted in a significant burden of long-term complications worldwide, including the phenomenon called "brain fog" [1,2]. Residual symptoms after an initial severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, mostly affecting cognition and quality of life, also decreased an ability to perform activities at work [3]. To date, most studies on COVID-19 focused on detailed description of symptoms, including neuropsychiatric sequelae, but only a minority aimed to assess their influence on quality of life at work (QoL-W) [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association between brain fog, cardiac injury, and quality of life at work after hospitalization due to COVID-19

Chatys-Bogacka,

Mazurkiewicz,

Słowik

et al. 2024

Med Pr Work Health Saf.

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Background: To evaluate incidence and search for possible predictors of brain fog and quality of life at work (QoL-W) among low-to-moderate risk subjects previously hospitalized due to COVID-19. Material and Methods: Participants aged ≥18 retrospectively reported 8 brain fog symptoms pre-COVID-19, at 0-4, 4-12 and >12 weeks post-infection via validated clinical questionnaire. The QoL-W was assessed with a 4-point Likert scale where 0, 1, 2, and 3 meant no, mild, moderate, and severe impairment in performing activities at work, respectively. Data on age, sex, comorbidities, and laboratory results (including first in-hospital high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I [hs-cTnI] measurement) were gathered. Results: The study included 181 hospitalized subjects (age Me = 57 years), 37.02% women. Most had low disease severity (Modified Early Warning Score = 1, 77.90%) and low comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index 0: 28.72%, 1-2: 34.09%), with no intensive care unit treatment needed. COVID-19 led to almost 3-fold increased brain fog symptoms, with incidence of 58.56%, 53.59%, and 49.17% within 4, 4-12, and >12 weeks, respectively (p < 0.001). First in-hospital hs-cTnI levels were 47.3% higher in participants who later presented with brain fog at median follow-up of 26.7 weeks since the diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Individuals who experienced at least one brain fog symptom at follow-up, had elevated hs-cTnI, less often presented with atrial fibrillation, and used anticoagulants during initial hospitalization due to COVID-19. The hs-cTnI >11.90 ng/l predicted brain fog symptoms in multivariable model. COVID-19 was associated with 3.6-fold, 3.0-fold, and 2.4-fold QoL-W deterioration within 4, 4-12, and >12 weeks post-infection (p < 0.05). Subjects with QoL-W decline >12 weeks were younger, mostly women, had more brain fog symptoms, and higher platelet counts. Multivariable models with self-reported brain fog symptoms (responding coherently and recalling recent information), age, and sex exhibited good discriminatory power for QoL-W impairment (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.846, 95% CI: 0.780-0.912). Conclusions: This study highlighted that in non-high-risk subjects hospitalized during the first 2 pandemic's waves: 1) brain fog was common, affecting nearly half of individuals, and impacting QoL-W >12 weeks after initial infection, 2) after 3 months of COVID-19 onset, the decline in QoL-W was primarily attributed to brain fog symptoms rather than demographic factors, health conditions, admission status, and laboratory findings, 3) components of brain fog, such as answering in an understandable way or recalling new information increased the likelihood of significantly lower QoL-W up to tenfold, 4) biochemical indicators, such as the first hs-cTnI level, might predict the risk of experiencing brain fog symptoms and indirectly decreased QoL-W >12 weeks after COVID-19 onset. Occupational medicine practitioners should pay particular attention to younger and female subjects after COVID-19 complainin...

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“…Long COVID can be defined as the presence of signs and symptoms even after 12 weeks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and beyond [2]. Cough is a frequent symptom of COVID-19 and can persist for months after infection [3,4]. Vagus nerve stimulation by inflammatory cytokines released from inflammatory cells has been speculated as a cause of cough in COVID-19 [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Potential Novel Treatment for Chronic Cough in Long COVID Patients: Clearance of Epipharyngeal Residual SARS-CoV-2 Spike RNA by Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy

Nishi¹,

Yoshimoto²,

Tanaka³

et al. 2023

Cureus

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A major target of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the epipharyngeal mucosa. Epipharyngeal abrasive therapy (EAT) is a Japanese treatment for chronic epipharyngitis. EAT is a treatment for chronic epipharyngitis in Japan that involves applying zinc chloride as an anti-inflammatory agent to the epipharyngeal mucosa. Here, we present a case of a 21-year-old man with chronic coughing that persisted for four months after a diagnosis of mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), who was treated by EAT. We diagnosed chronic epipharyngitis as the cause of the chronic cough after the SARS-CoV-2 infection. SARS-CoV-2 spike RNA had persisted in the epipharyngeal mucosa of this Long COVID patient. EAT was performed once a week for three months, which eliminated residual SARS-CoV-2 RNA and reduced epipharyngeal inflammation. Moreover, a reduction in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines was found by histopathological examination. We speculate that the virus was excreted with the drainage induced by EAT, which stopped the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines. This case study suggests that EAT is a useful treatment for chronic epipharyngitis involving long COVID.

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Long lasting symptoms of dyspnea, cough and fatigue after COVID-19 – narrative review of epidemiological studies

Cited by 6 publications

References 11 publications

The long COVID and its mental health manifestations – the review of literature.

The long COVID and its mental health manifestations – the review of literature.

Association between brain fog, cardiac injury, and quality of life at work after hospitalization due to COVID-19

A Potential Novel Treatment for Chronic Cough in Long COVID Patients: Clearance of Epipharyngeal Residual SARS-CoV-2 Spike RNA by Epipharyngeal Abrasive Therapy

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