Longitudinal Progression of Patients with Long COVID Treated in a Post-COVID Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Survey

• Published in: Journal of primary care & community health 2024-01, Vol.15, p.21501319241258671
• Main Authors: Hurt, Ryan T, Yadav, Siddhant, Schroeder, Darrell R, Croghan, Ivana T, Mueller, Michael R, Grach, Stephanie L, Aakre, Christopher A, Gilman, Elizabeth A, Stephenson, Christopher R, Overgaard, Joshua, Collins, Nerissa M, Lawson, Donna K, Thompson, Ann M, Natividad, Lasonya T, Mohamed Elfadil, Osman, Ganesh, Ravindra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; COVID-19 - therapy; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease Progression; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome; SARS-CoV-2; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 2150-1319; 2150-1327; 2150-1327
• DOI: 10.1177/21501319241258671

In addition to the morbidity and mortality associated with acute infection, COVID-19 has been associated with persistent symptoms (>30 days), often referred to as Long COVID (LC). LC symptoms often cluster into phenotypes, resembling conditions such as fibromyalgia, postural orthostatic tachycardiac syndrome (POTS), and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). LC clinics have been established to best address the needs of LC patients and continuity of care. We developed a cross-sectional survey to assess treatment response through our LC Clinic (LCC). A 25-question survey (1-10 Likert scale) was expert- and content-validated by LCC clinicians, patients, and patient advocates. The survey assessed LC symptoms and the helpfulness of different interventions, including medications and supplements. A total of 852 LCC patients were asked to complete the survey, with 536 (62.9%) responding. The mean time from associated COVID-19 infection to survey completion was 23.2 ± 6.4 months. The mean age of responders was 52.3 ± 14.1 (63% females). Self-reported symptoms were all significantly improved (