Fear of COVID-19 among patients with prior SARS-CoV-2 infection: A cross-sectional study in Estonian family practices

• Published in: The European journal of general practice 2023-12, Vol.29 (2), p.2195163-2195163
• Main Authors: Soomägi, Amanda, Meister, Tatjana, Vorobjov, Sigrid, Suija, Kadri, Kalda, Ruth, Uusküla, Anneli
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: COVID-19; COVID-19 fear scale; Cross-sectional studies; FCV-19S; Infections; long covid; Original; post covid; primary care; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
• ISSN: 1381-4788; 1751-1402
• DOI: 10.1080/13814788.2023.2195163

Fear of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been associated with significant health effects. To assess COVID-19 fear and investigate factors associated with higher fear among COVID-19 survivors over 6 months after infection. Cross-sectional study using multistage sampling (family practices within the highest 5th percentile of numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients and random sample of patients within these practices) performed from March 15 to 17 July 2021. Adult patients with a laboratory-confirmed history of COVID-19 were recruited for a self-administered 79-item questionnaire including demographics, self-rated health, physical activity, COVID-19 characteristics, severity and the fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). Comorbidity data were extracted from Estonian Health Insurance Fund. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate factors associated with COVID-19 fear. Of 341 participants included, 60% were women, 24.2% were hospitalised due to COVID-19 and 22.2% had long COVID, 143 (42%) participants reported high levels of fear (cut-off FCV-19S >17.8). Higher fear was associated with being female (aOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.14-3.95), age ≥61 years (aOR 3.23, 95% CI 1.28-8.16), two-member-households (aOR 3.70, 95% CI 1.40-9.77) physical inactivity 6 months prior to COVID-19 (aOR 3.53, 95% CI 1.26-9.95), and symptom severity during acute COVID-19. Long COVID was not associated with higher COVID-19 fear (aOR 1.82 95% CI 0.91-3.63). Almost half of participants reported COVID-19 fear more than 6 months after infection. Greater fear was associated with sociodemographic factors, physical activity prior to COVID-19 and COVID-19 symptom severity. There is a need to target this population to develop appropriate interventions.