Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based survey
AbstractObjective Dependent on clinical setting, geography and timing during the pandemic, variable symptoms of COVID-19 have been reported. Our aim was to describe self-reported symptom intensity and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients.Design Web-based survey.Se...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-10-01
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| Series: | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2023.2266477 |
| _version_ | 1797447919000879104 |
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| author | Guro H. Fossum Anja Maria Brænd Silje Rebekka Heltveit-Olsen Guri Rørtveit Sigurd Høye Jørund Straand |
| author_facet | Guro H. Fossum Anja Maria Brænd Silje Rebekka Heltveit-Olsen Guri Rørtveit Sigurd Høye Jørund Straand |
| author_sort | Guro H. Fossum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AbstractObjective Dependent on clinical setting, geography and timing during the pandemic, variable symptoms of COVID-19 have been reported. Our aim was to describe self-reported symptom intensity and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients.Design Web-based survey.Setting Norway between March 2020 and July 2021.Subjects Adults in home isolation.Main outcome measures Participants reported possible COVID-19 symptoms, duration of symptoms, score of symptom severity (Likert scale 0–3), risk factors, comorbidity, and questions regarding follow-up and information from primary health care.Results Of 477 participants, 379 (79%) had PCR-confirmed COVID-19, 324 (68%) were females, and 90% were younger than 60 years. Most common symptoms were “fatigue and/or muscle ache” (80%), nasal symptoms (79%), and headache (73%). The mean severity of symptoms was generally low. Symptoms with the highest mean scores were “fatigue and/or muscle ache” (1.51, SD 1.02) and headache (1.27 (SD 1.00). Mean scores for severity ranged from 0.28 (nausea) to 1.51 (fatigue and/or muscle ache). Women reported higher symptom scores than men. For “affected sense of smell and/or taste”, patients either reported a high symptom score (24%) or no affliction at all (49%). A third of the participants (32%) were followed-up by primary care health personnel, and almost 40% had sought or received information about COVID-19 from general practitioners.Conclusion The mean severity of symptoms among nonhospitalized adult COVID-19 patients was generally low. We found large variations in the occurrence and severity of symptoms between patients. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:02:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58abab3c520a49a5aab8e2748e921161 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0281-3432 1502-7724 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T14:02:53Z |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care |
| spelling | doaj.art-58abab3c520a49a5aab8e2748e9211612023-11-30T05:39:19ZengTaylor & Francis GroupScandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care0281-34321502-77242023-10-0141442743410.1080/02813432.2023.2266477Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based surveyGuro H. Fossum0Anja Maria Brænd1Silje Rebekka Heltveit-Olsen2Guri Rørtveit3Sigurd Høye4Jørund Straand5The Antibiotic Centre for Primary Care, Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayThe Antibiotic Centre for Primary Care, Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayThe Antibiotic Centre for Primary Care, Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Bergen, NorwayThe Antibiotic Centre for Primary Care, Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayGeneral Practice Research Unit (AFE), Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Oslo, NorwayAbstractObjective Dependent on clinical setting, geography and timing during the pandemic, variable symptoms of COVID-19 have been reported. Our aim was to describe self-reported symptom intensity and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients.Design Web-based survey.Setting Norway between March 2020 and July 2021.Subjects Adults in home isolation.Main outcome measures Participants reported possible COVID-19 symptoms, duration of symptoms, score of symptom severity (Likert scale 0–3), risk factors, comorbidity, and questions regarding follow-up and information from primary health care.Results Of 477 participants, 379 (79%) had PCR-confirmed COVID-19, 324 (68%) were females, and 90% were younger than 60 years. Most common symptoms were “fatigue and/or muscle ache” (80%), nasal symptoms (79%), and headache (73%). The mean severity of symptoms was generally low. Symptoms with the highest mean scores were “fatigue and/or muscle ache” (1.51, SD 1.02) and headache (1.27 (SD 1.00). Mean scores for severity ranged from 0.28 (nausea) to 1.51 (fatigue and/or muscle ache). Women reported higher symptom scores than men. For “affected sense of smell and/or taste”, patients either reported a high symptom score (24%) or no affliction at all (49%). A third of the participants (32%) were followed-up by primary care health personnel, and almost 40% had sought or received information about COVID-19 from general practitioners.Conclusion The mean severity of symptoms among nonhospitalized adult COVID-19 patients was generally low. We found large variations in the occurrence and severity of symptoms between patients.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2023.2266477SARS-CoV-2COVID-19primary health caresigns and symptomssurveys and questionnaires |
| spellingShingle | Guro H. Fossum Anja Maria Brænd Silje Rebekka Heltveit-Olsen Guri Rørtveit Sigurd Høye Jørund Straand Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based survey Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 primary health care signs and symptoms surveys and questionnaires |
| title | Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based survey |
| title_full | Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based survey |
| title_fullStr | Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based survey |
| title_full_unstemmed | Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based survey |
| title_short | Symptoms, symptom severity, and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients: a Norwegian web-based survey |
| title_sort | symptoms symptom severity and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized covid 19 patients a norwegian web based survey |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 primary health care signs and symptoms surveys and questionnaires |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02813432.2023.2266477 |
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