Persistent post-covid symptoms in healthcare workers

Abstract

Background Recent reports suggest a higher incidence of COVID-19 infections among healthcare workers (HCW). However, information about the long-term complications affecting this population is lacking. Aims Investigation of long-term impact of COVID-19 in HCW. Methods Seropositivity for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was evaluated for the majority of HCW in an English teaching hospital 2 months following the peak of COVID-19 first wave. A questionnaire investigating the long-term complications was sent through global e-mail to HCW 4 months following the peak of the wave enquiring about the persistent health issues still affecting them at that point. Results Out of 3759 subjects tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, 932 were positive (24%). Forty-five per cent of 138 HCW responding to the questionnaire reported persistent symptoms with 32% struggling to cope 3–4 months following the peak of the wave. Moderate-to-severe fatigue stood out as the most disabling symptom (39%) but mild-to-moderate shortness of breath, anxiety and sleep disturbance were almost universal in the subjects still struggling with symptoms. Only 16% consulted their general practitioner (GP) about their symptoms with only 2% taking sick leave after recovering from the acute illness. Conclusions Our data suggest that about a third of HCW who responded to the survey were still struggling to cope with the symptoms of what is now known as long covid several months after the acute COVID-19 infections. The overwhelming majority of this group seem to be reluctant to neither seek medical advice nor take sick leave.

COVID-19 infection among health care workers in a tertiary care teaching hospital in Kerala – India

“…[ 18 19 20 ] Fatigue and dyspnea as the predominant post COVID symptoms have been reported from multiple studies as seen in our study also. [ 18 20 21 ]…”

“…Higher percentage of post COVID symptoms was observed in Italy (87%), Spain (62%) while a study from England reported only 32% of HCW reporting persistence of any one symptom. [ 18 19 20 ] Fatigue and dyspnea as the predominant post COVID symptoms have been reported from multiple studies as seen in our study also. [ 18 20 21 ]…”

Cumulative Incidence of SARS-CoV-2 in Healthcare Workers at a General Hospital in Germany during the Pandemic—A Longitudinal Analysis

“…Out of 3759 HW tested, 932 (24%) were infected with SARS-CoV-2. After three to four months, 39% still reported severe fatigue and 40% reported mild to moderate shortness of breath [ 32 ].…”

Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Autonomic Dysfunction: What Do We Know?

“…The idea that SARS-CoV-2 infection could be associated with long-term health outcomes first appeared in the literature in mid-2020 [11], along with previous evidence of longhaul symptoms following the Ebola [12] virus outbreak and infections from previous coronaviruses [13,14]. COVID-19 survivors have been shown to experience a constellation of symptoms such as fatigue, dyspnea or breathlessness [8,15], palpitations [16,17], brain fog, lack of concentration [18,19], sleep disturbances (i.e., insomnia) [20], headache [17,[21][22][23][24][25], orthostatic intolerance [25], anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder [20,23,[26][27][28], chest pain, joint pain [8], sore throat [17], and hair loss [15] persisting >4 weeks after recovery. These clinical sequelae share similarities with post-acute symptoms reported after severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) epidemics, caused by previous coronaviruses [14].…”