Clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and inflammatory markers in individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) CA), 2024-07, Vol.12, p.e17723, Article e17723
• Main Authors: Theuri, Martin, Ndombi, Eric M, Thamaini, Peris, Ogutu, James Opiyo, Onsongo, Lister, Madete, June K, Ofula, Victor, Gitau, Samuel, Mwangi, Gladys, Okemo, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Biomarkers - blood; C-reactive protein; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; C-Reactive Protein - metabolism; Clinical characteristics; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - blood; COVID-19 - diagnosis; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - immunology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Enzymes; Epidemiology; Female; Health aspects; Humans; Immunoglobulin G; Immunoglobulin G - blood; Infectious Diseases; Inflammatory markers; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukins; Kenya - epidemiology; Male; Middle Aged; Pathology; Post-COVID-19; Public Health; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Surveys; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2167-8359; 2167-8359
• DOI: 10.7717/peerj.17723

Post-coronavirus disease 2019 (post-COVID-19) is associated with considerable morbidity and reduced quality of life. However, studies characterizing the post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya are limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of post-COVID-19 condition and determine the clinical characteristics, anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titers, and concentrations of inflammatory markers of individuals with post-COVID-19 condition in Kenya. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Kenyatta University Health Unit, Kenya. Demographic and clinical data were collected using a questionnaire. The serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Independent samples t-test was used to compare the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IL-6, and CRP levels between the participants with and without post-COVID-19 symptoms. The case definition for post-COVID-19 condition was persistence of acute COVID-19 symptoms or emergence of new symptoms 3 months after COVID-19 diagnosis, symptoms lasting for ≥2 months, and absence of any other etiological basis to explain the symptoms. A total of 189 volunteers were recruited in this study (median age: 21 years, range: 18-71 years; male, 49.2%). Forty participants reported having had at least one COVID-19 positive diagnosis in the past, of which 12 (30%) complained of post-COVID-19 symptoms. Significant differences in the number and duration of symptoms were observed between the individuals with and without post-COVID-19 symptoms ( -statistic = 2.87, = 0.01; -statistic = 2.39, = 0.02, respectively). However, no significant differences in serum levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, IL-6, and CRP were observed between the two groups ( = 0.08, 0.9, and 0.28, respectively). These findings suggest that post-COVID-19 condition is a health concern even for a relatively young population in Kenya and globally. This condition requires more attention and well-designed studies to better define it and identify clinical chemistry markers that can be used for its diagnosis.