Persistent Symptoms among Frontline Health Workers Post-Acute COVID-19 Infection

Growing evidence shows that a significant number of patients with COVID-19 experience persistent symptoms, also known as long COVID-19. We sought to identify persistent symptoms of COVID-19 in frontline workers at Right to Care South Africa, who are past the acute phase of illness, using a cross-sec...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-05, Vol.19 (10), p.5933
Main Authors: Wose Kinge, Constance, Hanekom, Susan, Lupton-Smith, Alison, Akpan, Francis, Mothibi, Eula, Maotoe, Thapelo, Lebatie, Floyd, Majuba, Pappie, Sanne, Ian, Chasela, Charles
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 diagnostic tests
Demographics
Disease
Electronic mail systems
Epidemics
Ethnicity
Fog
Health care
Hypertension
Infections
Laboratories
Long COVID
Medical personnel
Medical research
Mortality
Muscles
Muscular fatigue
Pain
Questionnaires
Rehabilitation
Response rates
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Tuberculosis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Growing evidence shows that a significant number of patients with COVID-19 experience persistent symptoms, also known as long COVID-19. We sought to identify persistent symptoms of COVID-19 in frontline workers at Right to Care South Africa, who are past the acute phase of illness, using a cross-sectional survey. We analysed data from 207 eligible COVID-19 positive frontline workers who participated in a two-month post-COVID-19 online self-administered survey. The survey response rate was 30%; of the 62 respondents with a median age of 33.5 years (IQR= 30-44 years), 47 (76%) were females. The majority ( = 55; 88.7%) self-isolated and 7 (11.3%) were admitted to hospital at the time of diagnosis. The most common comorbid condition reported was hypertension, particularly among workers aged 45-55 years. The most reported persistent symptoms were characterised by fatigue, anxiety, difficulty sleeping, chest pain, muscle pain, and brain fog. Long COVID-19 is a serious phenomenon, of which much is still unknown, including its causes, how common it is especially in non-hospitalised healthcare workers, and how to treat it. Given the rise in COVID-19 cases, the prevalence of long COVID-19 is likely to be substantial; thus, the need for rehabilitation programs targeted at each persistent COVID-19 symptom is critical.
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph19105933