The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional study
BackgroundA subset of patients experience persisting symptoms after an acute COVID-19 infection, referred to as “post COVID-19 condition”. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), fatigue, mental well-being, and determinants of diminished HRQoL, b...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Epidemiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fepid.2023.1144707/full |
| _version_ | 1797797720833916928 |
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| author | Iris M. Brus Inge Spronk Juanita A. Haagsma Annemieke de Groot Peter Tieleman Sara Biere-Rafi Suzanne Polinder |
| author_facet | Iris M. Brus Inge Spronk Juanita A. Haagsma Annemieke de Groot Peter Tieleman Sara Biere-Rafi Suzanne Polinder |
| author_sort | Iris M. Brus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundA subset of patients experience persisting symptoms after an acute COVID-19 infection, referred to as “post COVID-19 condition”. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), fatigue, mental well-being, and determinants of diminished HRQoL, between patients with post COVID-19 condition categorized by time since acute infection.MethodsWe performed an online survey and analyzed responses of 10,194 adult respondents with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, who experienced persisting symptoms ≥3 months after the initial infection. The most debilitating symptoms and health outcomes were studied separately for respondents 3–6, 7–9, 10–12, 13–18, 19–24, and >24 months after acute infection.ResultsAt each time period, fatigue, sensory-processing problems, and concentration problems were the most debilitating symptoms reported by respondents, although the proportion of respondents who reported these symptoms differed significantly between time periods. Respondents 3–6 months post-acute infection had the lowest HRQoL (median EQ-5D utility score: 0.59), the highest fatigue level (median score: 110.0) and the highest proportion with a likely depressive disorder (32.4%), whereas respondents 13–18 months post-infection had the highest HRQoL (0.65), the lowest fatigue level (106.0), and the second lowest proportion with a likely depressive disorder (25.0%) (p = 0.000–0.007). Compared to those 13–18 and 19–24 months post-infection, respondents >24 months post-infection had a slightly lower HRQoL (0.60), lower fatigue level (108.0), and lower proportion with a likely depressive disorder (29.2%), although only the differences in HRQoL were statistically significant (p = 0.001–0.010). Younger age, female gender, lower level of education, not having paid work before COVID-19, comorbidity, and not being vaccinated, seemed to be associated with lower HRQoL.ConclusionRegardless of time since infection, respondents considered fatigue, sensory processing problems and concentration problems the most debilitating symptoms. They experienced a low HRQoL and severe fatigue, even more than two years after acute COVID-19 infection. Respondents 3–6 months post-infection had the worst health outcomes, whereas respondents 13–18 months post-infection had the best outcomes, indicating that, at least for a subgroup of patients, health status may improve over time. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:52:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-36a015ac336d42f19878437ebf301273 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2674-1199 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T03:52:39Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Epidemiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-36a015ac336d42f19878437ebf3012732023-06-22T09:18:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Epidemiology2674-11992023-06-01310.3389/fepid.2023.11447071144707The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional studyIris M. Brus0Inge Spronk1Juanita A. Haagsma2Annemieke de Groot3Peter Tieleman4Sara Biere-Rafi5Suzanne Polinder6Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsC-support, ’s Hertogenbosch, NetherlandsC-support, ’s Hertogenbosch, NetherlandsC-support, ’s Hertogenbosch, NetherlandsDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, NetherlandsBackgroundA subset of patients experience persisting symptoms after an acute COVID-19 infection, referred to as “post COVID-19 condition”. This cross-sectional study aimed to compare symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), fatigue, mental well-being, and determinants of diminished HRQoL, between patients with post COVID-19 condition categorized by time since acute infection.MethodsWe performed an online survey and analyzed responses of 10,194 adult respondents with a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection, who experienced persisting symptoms ≥3 months after the initial infection. The most debilitating symptoms and health outcomes were studied separately for respondents 3–6, 7–9, 10–12, 13–18, 19–24, and >24 months after acute infection.ResultsAt each time period, fatigue, sensory-processing problems, and concentration problems were the most debilitating symptoms reported by respondents, although the proportion of respondents who reported these symptoms differed significantly between time periods. Respondents 3–6 months post-acute infection had the lowest HRQoL (median EQ-5D utility score: 0.59), the highest fatigue level (median score: 110.0) and the highest proportion with a likely depressive disorder (32.4%), whereas respondents 13–18 months post-infection had the highest HRQoL (0.65), the lowest fatigue level (106.0), and the second lowest proportion with a likely depressive disorder (25.0%) (p = 0.000–0.007). Compared to those 13–18 and 19–24 months post-infection, respondents >24 months post-infection had a slightly lower HRQoL (0.60), lower fatigue level (108.0), and lower proportion with a likely depressive disorder (29.2%), although only the differences in HRQoL were statistically significant (p = 0.001–0.010). Younger age, female gender, lower level of education, not having paid work before COVID-19, comorbidity, and not being vaccinated, seemed to be associated with lower HRQoL.ConclusionRegardless of time since infection, respondents considered fatigue, sensory processing problems and concentration problems the most debilitating symptoms. They experienced a low HRQoL and severe fatigue, even more than two years after acute COVID-19 infection. Respondents 3–6 months post-infection had the worst health outcomes, whereas respondents 13–18 months post-infection had the best outcomes, indicating that, at least for a subgroup of patients, health status may improve over time.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fepid.2023.1144707/fullCOVID-19post COVID-19 conditionhealth-related quality of life (HRQL)fatiguemental well-beingsymptoms |
| spellingShingle | Iris M. Brus Inge Spronk Juanita A. Haagsma Annemieke de Groot Peter Tieleman Sara Biere-Rafi Suzanne Polinder The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional study Frontiers in Epidemiology COVID-19 post COVID-19 condition health-related quality of life (HRQL) fatigue mental well-being symptoms |
| title | The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | The prolonged impact of COVID-19 on symptoms, health-related quality of life, fatigue and mental well-being: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | prolonged impact of covid 19 on symptoms health related quality of life fatigue and mental well being a cross sectional study |
| topic | COVID-19 post COVID-19 condition health-related quality of life (HRQL) fatigue mental well-being symptoms |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fepid.2023.1144707/full |
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