Osong Public Health Res Perspect.  2024 Jun;15(3):229-237. 10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0251.

Prevalence and patterns of post-COVID-19 symptoms in recovered patients of Delhi, India: a population-based study

• Bhatnagar N
• Singh MM
• Sharma H
• Mishra S
• Singh G
• Rao S
• Borle A
• Anand T
• Kumar N
• Goswami B
• Singh S
• Kapoor M
• Singla S
• Khuraijam B
• Khurana N
• Sharma U
• Garg S

• KMID: 2557350
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0251

Abstract

Objectives
Post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms were widely reported.However, data on post-COVID-19 conditions following infection with the Omicron variant remained scarce. This prospective study was conducted to understand the prevalence, patterns, and duration of symptoms in patients who had recovered from COVID-19.
Methods
A prospective study was conducted across 11 districts of Delhi, India, among individuals who had recovered from COVID-19. Study participants were enrolled, and then returned for post-recovery follow-up at 3 months and 6 months interval.
Results
The mean age of study participants was 42.07 years, with a standard deviation of 14.89 years. The majority of the participants (79.7%) reported experiencing post-COVID-19 symptoms. The most common symptoms included joint pain (36.0%), persistent dry cough (35.7%), anxiety (28.4%), and shortness of breath (27.1%). Other symptoms were persistent fatigue (21.6%), persistent headache (20.0%), forgetfulness (19.7%), and limb weakness (18.6%). The longest duration of symptom was observed to be anxiety (138.75±54.14 days), followed by fatigue (137.57±48.33 days), shortness of breath (131.89±60.21 days), and joint pain/swelling (131.59±58.76 days). At the first follow-up visit, 2.2% of participants presented with abnormal electrocardiogram readings, but no abnormalities were noticed during the second follow-up. Additionally, 4.06% of participants exhibited abnormal chest X-ray findings at the first follow-up, which decreased to 2.16% by the second visit. Conclusion: The most frequently reported post-COVID-19 symptoms were joint pain, dry cough, anxiety and shortness of breath. These clinical symptoms persisted for up to 6 months, with evidence of multi-system involvement. Consequently, findings highlighted the need for long-term follow-up during the post-COVID-19 period.

Keyword

Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome2; coronavirus infection; severe acute respiratory syndrome; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2