Prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in a cohort of hospitalized patients in the North Coast of Colombia

Prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in a cohort of hospitalized patients in the North Coast of Colombia | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in a cohort of hospitalized patients in the North Coast of Colombia Ana Lozano, Fernando Salcedo-Mejia, Carmelo Dueñas, Juan Carlos Fernandez, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3898490/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Understanding the prevalence and severity of post-COVID-19 conditions among hospitalized patients is crucial for developing effective strategies for managing the long-term consequences of the disease. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and severity of post-COVID-19 conditions in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The study involved two phases: first, participants were contacted via phone call by trained personnel from the healthcare company and surveyed. In the second phase, two months after the telephone survey, a medical visit was conducted in the group of individuals who reported persistent symptoms in the previous call. Summary statistics such as mean, standard deviation (SD), interquartile range (IQR), 95%CI as well as absolute and relative frequencies of patients' baseline characteristics were reported. Changes were assessed through statistical tests for differences in means and proportions. Multivariate analyses were also conducted. The prevalence of at least one post-hospitalization condition after three months of COVID-19 hospitalization was 78.7 per 100 people. The most common symptoms included fatigue (55.4%), joint pain (46.0%), dyspnea (44.6%), sleep disorders (36.1%), anorexia (33.7%), and chest pain (31.7%). These conditions were frequent and disabling, experiencing at least one condition after three months. Within this group, more than 70% showed a deterioration in their health status (EQ5D-5L Scale) or experienced new or worsened disability in at least one domain of the Washington Group. Our study demonstrates that post-COVID-19 conditions in previously hospitalized patients are highly prevalent, which can adversely affect patients' quality of life and lead to increased demand for healthcare services. COVID-19 EQ5D-5L post-COVID Colombia prevalence Figures Figure 1 Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for public health, decision-makers, and society, with a widespread impact on social, economic, and epidemiological activities. As of March 2023, there were over 677 million cases and 6.9 million deaths worldwide ( 1 ). In Colombia, reports from the National Institute of Health (INS, in Spanish) as of July 2023 indicate 6.4 million confirmed cases and 142,780 deaths due to COVID-19 ( 2 ). Research has focused on preventing or treating severe outcomes and death from COVID-19. However, it is well known that SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to long-term complications that require some degree of support or healthcare services ( 3 , 4 ). Studies conducted in different populations have reported prevalence rates of post-COVID-19 conditions and persistent symptoms ranging from 2.5–76% ( 5 – 7 ). The main symptoms include fatigue, dyspnea, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, depression, muscle, joint, head, and chest pain, sleep problems, but this list can extend to over 50 manifestations ( 5 – 7 ). These symptoms generally affect daily functioning and can occur in critically and mildly ill patients ( 5 – 8 ). The above-mentioned conditions show higher figures among cases hospitalized after infection ( 6 , 8 ). In this regard, some observational studies conducted in the United States and China have estimated that between 31% and 76% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients experienced persistent symptoms for at least six months after acute illness ( 6 , 9 ). Other studies in hospitalized patients found that up to 20% required rehospitalization, primarily due to COVID-19, sepsis, or pneumonia, and up to 80% required follow-up in primary care within two months after hospital discharge ( 10 , 11 ). Understanding the prevalence and severity of post-COVID-19 conditions among hospitalized patients is crucial for developing effective strategies for managing the long-term consequences of the disease. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions and assess their severity in a cohort of patients living in the department (state) of Bolívar that were previously hospitalized due to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. This research will contribute to the growing body of knowledge on post-COVID-19 conditions; inform healthcare providers, policymakers, and public health experts; and ultimately aid in developing targeted interventions and support systems for individuals recovering from COVID-19. Methodology Study Design Cross-sectional observational study. The study population consisted of individuals over 18 years old diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19 through RT-PCR who required hospitalization between March 2020 and August 2021 and were affiliated with a Colombian health insurance provider (Mutualser EPS). We included subjects from municipalities located in the North of Bolívar, including its main city, Cartagena de Indias. The study consisted of two phases: first, participants were contacted via phone call by trained personnel from the healthcare company. At this time, patients must have had three or more months of discharge from the hospital to be included in the study. For those subjects who responded positively to the invitation and provided consent, a questionnaire was administered in order to identify potential post-COVID-19 symptoms. Two symptoms’ categories were considered, those who are transient (not occurring at the time of phone call) and persistent symptoms for those that continued until the contact time. In the second phase, two months after the telephone survey, a medical visit was conducted in the group of individuals who reported persistent symptoms in the previous call. During the visit, the physician performed a general physical examination and applied a group of standardized questionaries for symptom identification and functional impairment, which were compiled in the protocol published by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) and the WHO for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 during hospitalization (ISARIC Form) ( 12 ). Data Source and Outcomes Baseline sociodemographic and clinical data of patients, including age, gender, pre-existing comorbidities, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), dates of admission and hospital discharge were obtained from the insurance provider's administrative database. The primary outcome of the first phase was to estimate the prevalence of at least one symptom three months after hospital discharge for COVID-19, and the secondary outcome was to estimate the associated risk factors. In the second phase, several components from the Spanish version of the ISARIC form were included to assess the following outcomes:1) persistent or new symptoms; 2) fatigue measured on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 1 to 10, where zero represents no fatigue, and ten represents the worst possible fatigue; 3) disability using the Washington Disability Group Short Form (WG-SS); 4) dyspnea measured using the Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MRC), and quality of life using the EuroQol instrument (EQ5D-5L). The last three scores, following the instructions in the ISARIC form, were repeated with the time tense in the past to inquire specifically about pre-COVID-19 status to evaluate the changes experienced by the patient after hospital discharge for COVID-19. Lastly, post-COVID-19 functional status was evaluated using the Post-COVID Functional Status Scale (PCFS) adapted and approved for Colombia ( 13 , 14 ). This score ranges from grade 0 to 4, with grade 0 indicating no functional limitations and grade 4 indicating severe functional limitations. Sample size A stratified random sampling technique was applied for the sample selection from the population study. In the health insurance database, there were reported a total number of 509 recovered patients from severe COVID-19 treated in the hospital (general ward or ICU). It was estimated a sample number of 153 cases in general ward and 92 in ICU, with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and 5% of error estimation. Statistical Analysis Summary statistics such as mean, standard deviation (SD), interquartile range (IQR), 95%CI as well as absolute and relative frequencies of patients' baseline characteristics were reported. Changes were assessed through statistical tests for differences in means and proportions. Bivariate analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests for contingency tables involving categorical variables. Changes in the values reported by participants before the onset of their COVID-19 illness compared to those reported during the medical visit were evaluated using the mMRC scale, EQ5D-5L instrument, and WG-SS. The summary index of the EQ5D-5L instrument was calculated, allowing for obtaining a value on a scale from 0 to 1, with 1 representing perfect health status and 0 representing the worst imaginable health. The index is based on a set of health state values reflecting the preferences of the general population of a country/region ( 15 ). This set of index values is unique for each country or region. However, considering that Colombia does not have reference index values, the valuation study from Mexico was used ( 16 ). The overall changes obtained in the different disability domains of the WG-SS and dimensions of the EQ5D-5L, before and after the onset of COVID-19, were summarized using the Pareto Classification of Health Changes (PCHC) method ( 17 ). PCHC classifies the change in an individual's health status as better (improvement in at least one dimension), worse (deterioration in at least one dimension), mixed (improvements and deteriorations in dimensions), or no change in health status. The demographic, epidemiological, and clinical baseline characteristics of the included COVID-19 cases were used to estimate the increased probability of having at least one symptom three months after hospital discharge for COVID-19. A logistic regression model was estimated to express the results as odds ratios and determine the risk or protector factors. Next, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted using stepwise selection guided by the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). For this purpose, the 'MASS' package in R, along with the StepAIC function, was utilized. All variables from the bivariate analysis were included, and in the final model, the variable 'age' was added. The results of this analysis were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for the included variables. All analyses were performed using the statistical software R version 4.3.1 and the packages: 'dplyr,' 'arsenal,' 'MASS,' and 'broom.' The significance level was set at 5%. Ethical Considerations Informed consent was obtained from all patients involved in the study. The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of IMAT (Montería, Colombia), with reference code ONC-CEI-CEI-1123-2021. Results Patient Characteristics From the total number of cases registered in the claims database (N = 509), 487 patients had a registered telephone number and were contacted via phone call. Two hundred and two subjects who had been previously hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the observation window were included in this study. Reasons for not participating in the study are detailed in Supplementary Fig. 1. The mean age of the study sample was 55.6 (SD ± 17.2) years, and approximately half were male (n = 104, 51.5%). Forty-nine percent (99 out of 202) of the individuals had at least one comorbidity, with the most common being hypertension (35.6%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (18.8%), and cardiovascular disease (8.4%). The median length of stay for hospitalization was eight days (IQR: 4–13 days), and 22.8% of the patients (46 out of 202) required ICU. The sociodemographic and clinical variables distribution between women and men did not show significant differences (Table 1 ). However, the percentage of women in the 6 to 12 months post-hospital discharge group was higher than that of men. Table 1 Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of the total number of patients included in the study. Variables Women (N = 98) Men (N = 104) Total (N = 202) p* Age [Mean (SD)] 53.7 (15.2) 57.4 (18.8) 55.6 (17.2) 0.155 Comorbidities [n(%)] At least one comorbidity 52 (53.1%) 47 (45.2%) 99 (49.0%) 0.264 Hypertension 38 (38.8%) 34 (32.7%) 72 (35.6%) 0.367 Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus 16 (16.3%) 22 (21.2%) 38 (18.8%) 0.380 Cardiovascular disease 8 (8.2%) 9 (8.7%) 17 (8.4%) 0.900 Obesity 9 (9.2%) 7 (6.7%) 16 (7.9%) 0.519 Chronic kidney disease 5 (5.1%) 5 (4.8%) 10 (5.0%) 0.923 Asthma 4 (4.1%) 2 (1.9%) 6 (3.0%) 0.366 COPD 1 (1.0%) 3 (2.9%) 4 (2.0%) 0.342 Chronic respiratory disease 2 (2.0%) 2 (1.9%) 4 (2.0%) 0.952 Cerebrovascular disease 0 (0.0%) 2 (1.9%) 2 (1.0%) 0.168 Cancer 1 (1.0%) 0 (0.0%) 1 (0.5%) 0.302 Chronic neurological disorder 0 (0.0%) 1 (1.0%) 1 (0.5%) 0.330 Rheumatologic disorder 1 (1.0%) 0 (0.0%) 1 (0.5%) 0.302 Hospitalization unit [n(%)] 0.368 General Ward 73 (74.5%) 83 (79.8%) 156 (77.2%) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) 25 (25.5%) 21 (20.2%) 46 (22.8%) Days of hospitalization [Median (IQR)] 8 ( 4 – 12 ) 8 ( 4 – 14 ) 8 ( 4 – 13 ) 0.951 Time to hospital discharge [n (%)] 0.017 3–5 months 37 (37.8%) 40 (38.5%) 77 (38.1%) 6–12 months 43 (43.9%) 29 (27.9%) 72 (35.6%) More than 12 months 18 (18.4%) 35 (33.7%) 53 (26.2%) Post-COVID 19 symptoms are common among previous hospitalized patients According to the telephone survey, the prevalence of at least one post-hospitalization condition after three months of COVID-19 hospitalization was 78.7 (95% CI: 72.4–84.1) per 100 people. The most common symptoms reported were fatigue (55.4%), joint pain (46.0%), dyspnea (44.6%), sleep disorders (36.1%), anorexia (33.7%), and chest pain (31.7%). Additionally, 39.1% (n = 79) of the patients had difficulty performing their daily activities. The rest of the reported symptoms are listed in Table 2 . Of the interviewed participants, 65.3% (132 out of 202) reported at least one symptom during the phone contact. Considering the time since hospital discharge, 66.2% (51 out of 77), 68.1% (49 out of 72), and 60.4% (32 out of 53) of the patients at 3–5 months, 6–12 months, and more than 12 months after hospital discharge, respectively, had at least one persistent symptom. Joint pain and fatigue were the most frequently reported symptoms that persisted at the time of the call (36.1%) (Table 2 ). Table 2 Frequency of symptom reporting following hospitalization for COVID-19. Symptom Frequency of reporting (N = 202) At least 3 months Persistent* Fatigue 112 (55.4%) 73 (36.1%) Joint pain 93 (46.0%) 73 (36.1%) Dyspnea 90 (44.6%) 57 (28.2%) Sleep disorders 73 (36.1%) 54 (26.7%) Anorexia 68 (33.7%) 28 (13.9%) Chest pain 64 (31.7%) 37 (18.3%) Headache 55 (27.2%) 25 (12.4%) Confusion, disorientation, or drowsiness 55 (27.2%) 31 (15.3%) Cough 52 (25.7%) 27 (13.4%) Hoarse voice 38 (18.8%) 17 (8.4%) Diarrhea 35 (17.3%) 7 (3.5%) Abdominal pain 34 (16.8%) 16 (7.9%) Odynophagia 34 (16.8%) 14 (6.9%) Fever 21 (10.4%) 0 (0%) Anosmia or ageusia 17 (8.4%) 10 (5.0%) Female sex and ICU hospitalization are directly associated with post-COVID conditions In the bivariate analysis presented in Table S1 , sex and ICU hospitalization were significantly associated with at least one post-COVID-19 condition. After multivariate analysis (Table 3 ) being women remained associated with a higher likelihood of having at least one post-COVID-19 condition (aOR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.32–6.52; p = 0.01) as well as the requirement of ICU hospitalization (aOR: 4.23; 95% CI: 1.45–16.12; p = 0.02). Table 3 Multivariate analysis variables associated with at least one symptom three months after hospital discharge for COVID-19. Variable aOR 95% IC p.value (Intercept) 2.63 (0.66–10.84) 0.17 Sex Women 2.85 (1.32–6.52) 0.01 ICU admission 4.23 (1.45–16.12) 0.02 Early Cough during COVID-19 2.36 (1.11–5.18) 0.03 Any Comorbidity 2.70 (1.16–6.68) 0.02 Chronic respiratory disease 0.18 (0.02–1.72) 0.12 Asthma 0.15 (0.02–1.29) 0.06 Chronic kidney disease 0.07 (0.01–0.35) 0.00 Age 1.00 (0.98–1.02) 0.90 Based on this result, the difference in the prevalence of symptoms was subsequently compared with the variable sex and ICU admission. We found that dyspnea, sleep disorders, chest pain, and headache were more frequent in women (Table S2 ). Meanwhile, there were no significant differences in the symptoms evaluated when comparing patients who required ICU and those who did not (Table S3 ). Outcomes in Patients with Post-COVID-19 Conditions. Out of the 132 participants who had persistent symptoms during the telephone interview, conducting in-person visits with 101 of them was possible. Among these, 56.4% (n = 57) were women, with a mean age of 57.7 (SD ± 16.3) years (Table 4 ). Table 4 Frequency and sex-distribution of reported symptoms during the medical consultation Symptom Men (N = 44) Women (N = 57) Total (N = 101) P* Weakness in arms or legs/muscle weakness 23 (52.3) 39 (68.4) 62 (61.4) 0.098 Dyspnea 20 (45.5) 32 (56.1) 52 (51.5) 0.287 Persistent muscle pain 16 (36.4) 34 (59.6) 50 (49.5) 0.020 Fatigue 21 (47.7) 20 (35.1) 41 (40.6) 0.200 Confusion/lack of concentration 9 (20.5) 25 (43.9) 35 (34.7) 0.014 Dizziness 9 (20.5) 25 (43.9) 34 (33.7) 0.014 Sleep problems 10 (22.7) 22 (38.6) 32 (31.7) 0.089 Headache 7 (15.9) 19 (33.3) 26 (25.7) 0.047 Heart palpitations/racing 7 (15.9) 18 (31.6) 25 (24.8) 0.070 Joint pain or swelling 11 (25.0) 11 (19.3) 22 (21.8) 0.491 Balance problems 10 (22.7) 10 (17.5) 20 (19.8) 0.517 Chest pains 9 (20.5) 10 (17.5) 19 (18.8) 0.711 Loss of appetite 5 (11.4) 10 (17.5) 15 (14.9) 0.386 Ringing in the ears 4 (9.1) 11 (19.3) 15 (14.9) 0.153 Vision problems 4 (9.1) 9 (15.8) 13 (12.9) 0.319 Pain when breathing 5 (11.4) 7 (12.3) 12 (11.9) 0.888 Diarrhea 6 (13.6) 5 (8.8) 11 (10.9) 0.437 Abdominal stomach pain 3 (6.8) 8 (14.0) 11 (10.9) 0.248 Cough 3 (6.8) 6 (10.5) 9 (8.9) 0.517 Shivering/shaking 4 (9.1) 4 (7.0) 8 (7.9) 0.702 Swollen ankles 3 (6.8) 5 (8.8) 8 (7.9) 0.718 Erectile dysfunction 7 (6.9) NA 7 (6.9) NA Rash 2 (4.5) 5 (8.8) 7 (6.9) 0.407 Feeling sick/vomiting 1 (2.3) 5 (8.8) 6 (5.9) 0.171 Changes in menstruation NA 5 ( 5 ) 5 ( 5 ) NA Weight loss 2 (4.5) 3 (5.3) 5 ( 5 ) 0.869 Trouble speaking or communicating 4 (9.1) 1 (1.8) 5 ( 5 ) 0.092 Weakness/fainting 3 (6.8) 1 (1.8) 4 ( 4 ) 0.196 Constipation 2 (4.5) 2 (3.5) 4 ( 4 ) 0.791 Inability to move completely or control movement 3 (6.8) 1 (1.8) 4 ( 4 ) 0.196 Problems urinating 1 (2.3) 3 (5.3) 4 ( 4 ) 0.445 Problems swallowing or chewing 2 (4.5) 1 (1.8) 3 ( 3 ) 0.413 Loss of sense of taste 1 (2.3) 0 (0.0) 1 ( 1 ) 0.253 Loss of sense of smell 1 (2.3) 0 (0.0) 1 ( 1 ) 0.253 n(%) Of the 101 patients, 99 (98%) reported at least one symptom during the medical visit that they did not have prior to contracting COVID-19 (Table 4 ), even though half of them (51.5%) referred to be feel fully recovered from the illness (Table 5 ). The most frequently reported symptoms were arms or legs’ weakness and dyspnea, occurring in more than half of the population (Table 5 ). Women reported confusion/lack of concentration, dizziness, and headache more frequently than men, with a significant difference (Table 4 ). Table 5 Post-COVID-19 Outcomes Distributed by sex. Man Woman Total P-value COVID-19 Recovery Self-Report 0.52 Agree 20 (45.5%) 32 (56.1%) 52 (51.5%) Disagree 23 (52.3%) 23 (40.4%) 46 (45.5%) Not know 1 (2.3%) 2 (3.5%) 3 (3.0%) Overall change rate EQ5D-5L 0.47 Median (IQR) -0.07 (-0.15 to -0.01) -0.108 (-0.14 to -0.05) 0.01 (-0.14 to -0.05) General Health EVA 0.27 Median (IQR) 72.5 (57.5 to 85) 70 (60 to 80) 70 (60 to 80) WG-SS 0.24 New or worsening 32 (72.7%) 47 (82.5%) 79 (78.2%) No change 12 (27.3%) 10 (17.5%) 22 (21.8%) Level of fatigue 0.21 Median (IQR) 3 (2 to 4) 3 (3 to 4.3) 3 (2 to 4) Change in breathlessness 0.03 Increase 26 (59.1%) 45 (80.4%) 72 (71.3%) No change 18 (40.9%) 11 (19.6%) 29 (28.7%) PCFS Scale 0.003 Grade 1 23 (52.3%) 14 (24.6%) 37 (36.6%) Grade 2 9 (20.5%) 26 (45.6%) 35 (34.7%) Grade 3 4 (9.1%) 12 (21.1%) 16 (15.8%) Grade 4 8 (18.2%) 5 (8.8%) 13 (12.9%) Additionally, 71.3% (72 out of 101) of the participants reported increased dyspnea compared to their pre-COVID-19 state (Table 5 ). This report was higher in women than men (80.4% vs. 59.1%, p = 0.03) while there were no differences between those who required ICU and those who did not (Table 5 , Table S5 ). Among participants with an mMRC grade 0 (80.2%, 81 out of 101) prior to COVID-19, 27.1% (22 out of 81) reported an increase to grade 1–2, and 49.4% (40 out of 81) reported an increase to grades 3–4 based on their status during the medical visit (Fig. 1 ). Regarding fatigue, the EVA score had a median of 3 (IQR: 2–4), with no differences between men and women or between those who required ICU and those who did not. However, when comparing the group of patients who reported fatigue in the post-COVID symptom section with those who did not, a significant difference was observed between the two groups [4 (IQR: 3–5) vs. 3 (IQR: 2–4), p: 0.013] (Table 5 ). The EQ5D-5L index was 10% lower after COVID-19 than before (median difference: -0.01 points, IQR: -0.14 to -0.05). There were no differences by sex, but those who required ICU showed a higher change in the index compared to those who did not enter the ICU (Table 5 , Table S5 ). Seventy-seven percent (77 out of 100) of the participants experienced worsening in at least one evaluated dimension (Table S6 ). The dimensions of the EQ5D-5L in which most participants reported worsening were pain/discomfort (70%, 70 out of 100), usual activities (39%, 39 out of 100), and anxiety/depression (39%, 39 out of 100). In the VAS, which records the respondent's self-rated health, participants had a median of 70 (IQR: 60–80), with no differences by sex or ICU admission (Table S6 , Table S3 ). Most patients (76 out of 101, 75.3%) experienced new or worsened disability in at least one domain of the WG-SS, with no differences by sex or ICU requirement (Table S6 , Table S3 ). The most affected domain was mobility (59.4%, 60 out of 101), followed by cognition or remembering (37.6%, 38 out of 101) (Table S6 ). In the PCFS functionality scale, during the medical visit, 36.6% (37 out of 101) were in grade 1, 34.7% (35 out of 101) in grade 2, 15.8% (16 out of 101) in grade 3, and 12.9% (13 out of 101) in grade 4 (Table 5 ). Women reported grade 1 less frequently, with a significant difference in the overall distribution compared to men. The requirement of the ICU did not lead to a higher report of advanced PCFS grades (Table S5 ). Discussion Here, we report the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in a representative sample of previously hospitalized patients with COVID-19 living in Bolívar, Colombia. Our observations indicate that these conditions are frequent and disabling, with approximately 8 out of 10 patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization during the acute phase of the disease experiencing at least one condition after three months. Within this group, more than 70% showed deterioration in their health status (EQ5D-5L Scale) or new or worsened disability in at least one domain of the Washington Group. Additionally, a high proportion of patients (> 60%), continue to experience symptoms 12 months after discharge. A median of six symptoms per patient was reported, with fatigue, joint pain, and dyspnea being the most common, and 40% experiencing impairment in their daily activities. These results are consistent with those observed in other countries for patients with an antecedent of hospitalization ( 18 – 20 ). In Colombia, there have been two published reports on the presentation of post-COVID-19 conditions. Compared to these data, the obtained prevalence rate of dyspnea was more similar to that reported by Serrano et al., in which 31% of patients experienced dyspnea one year after ICU discharge ( 21 ). Anaya et al. found a lower rate of this symptom in a sample of 100 patients with an antecedent of SARS-CoV-2 infection ( 22 ). The current study, which analyzes a population living in a region at sea level, and the previous reports on Bogotá (a high-altitude city) support that respiratory symptoms are common and persistent in a substantial proportion of Colombian patients who recovered from acute COVID-19. In the current study, we observed that being a woman and requiring ICU admission were potential risk factors for experiencing at least one post-COVID-19 condition. Prior research has identified a heightened risk of developing post-COVID-19 symptoms in women, regardless of hospitalization status ( 23 ), and they were more prone to reporting lingering symptom ( 24 ). From a pathophysiological perspective, no studies have explained why women experience post-COVID-19 conditions more frequently than men. However, a study showed that the presence of autoantibodies is associated with the presence of post-COVID-19 symptoms ( 25 ), and considering that women have a greater propensity to develop a higher number of antibodies and autoantibodies ( 26 ), this could be one of the reasons why women more frequently manifest post-COVID-19 conditions. Similarly, in our analysis, we observed a significant increase in the presentation of respiratory difficulty, chest pain, and fatigue in women compared with men, which is consistent with previous studies ( 27 ). In addition, although the proportion of women in the 6 to 12 months post-discharge group was higher than that of men, there were no significant differences in the presentation of symptoms according to sex and time of hospital discharge (data not presented). Similar to other studies, our findings showed a significant association between ICU admission and manifestation of post-COVID-19 conditions. Severe COVID-19 may be a risk factor for owing to its propensity to elicit an intensified immune response which may amplify the risk of organ impairment ( 28 – 30 ). Additionally, managing severe cases of COVID-19 often requires the use of corticosteroids and intubation, which can result in enduring adverse effects that may later manifest as post-COVID-19 conditions. Similarly, a cohort study observed that high level of RNA in the blood at the time of diagnosis, which may also be related to disease severity, are a risk factor for developing post-COVID-19 conditions ( 25 ). In our study, comorbidities were not associated with the presentation of post-COVID conditions. These results are consistent with previous prospective and retrospective studies ( 31 – 33 ). However, other studies have found that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for post-COVID conditions ( 34 ). Similarly, some post-COVID conditions, such as fatigue, dyspnea, and psychiatric disorders, are related to pre-existing conditions such as asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, and psychiatric disorders ( 31 ). In our study, we assessed the risk factors for each of the most frequent symptoms (fatigue, dyspnea, joint pain, and sleep disorders), but no association was found (data not presented). These results may be due to the sample of patients who had comorbidities. We also quantified significant deterioration in disability, disability related to dyspnea, and overall health status. The severity of dyspnea may arise from direct lung injury; however, the causes of fatigue, pain, and cognitive issues remain unclear. Their resemblance to symptoms of other post-infectious and post-intensive care syndromes could provide insights into potential mechanisms such as autoimmunity triggered by infection ( 35 – 37 ). Furthermore, a significant percentage of participants reported worsening symptoms of anxiety and depression, as reported in previous studies ( 38 , 39 ), highlighting the importance of psychological monitoring during the follow-up of post-COVID-19 patients. Among the strengths of this study, we used a questionnaire that collected the most frequently reported symptoms in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, which was evaluated through a systematic review by our research group (unpublished data). Additionally, within the group of patients with persistent conditions, we applied a validated questionnaire and a current reference to evaluate disability and changes in health status in hospitalized COVID-19 patients ( 40 , 41 ). A limitation of our study is that data on post-COVID-19 conditions were not collected prospectively; thus, no temporal relationships (onset date) between the disease and the course of symptoms could be performed. Finally, our findings were limited by the absence of a control group and prehospitalization assessments for COVID-19. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that post-COVID-19 conditions in previously hospitalized patients are highly prevalent, which can adversely affect patients' quality of life and lead to an increased demand for healthcare services. Declarations Acknowledgments We wish to extend our acknowledgment to Laura Cabarcas and Dr. Manuel Tijera of “Fundación Ser Social IPS” for their important contributions as they played pivotal roles in overseeing and conducting the medical visits during this study. Their valuable expertise and efforts were instrumental in the successful execution of this research. Additionally, we extend our sincere appreciation to Sofia Rodriguez Bolle for her significant contribution in translating the manuscript and volunteering in knowledge generation activities for the ALZAK Foundation. Funding Fundación Ser Social IPS. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. References Dong E, Du H, Gardner L (2020) An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. Lancet Infect Dis 20(5):533–534 Instituto Nacionald de Salud. Casos de COVID-19 en Colombia [Internet]. [cited 2021 Feb 27]. Available from: https://www.ins.gov.co/Noticias/Paginas/coronavirus-casos.aspx López-León S, Wegman-Ostrosky T, Perelman C, Sepulveda R, Rebolledo PA, Cuapio A et al (2021) More than 50 Long-Term Effects of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. SSRN Electron J Menges D, Ballouz T, Anagnostopoulos A, Aschmann HE, Domenghino A, Fehr JS et al (2021) Burden of post-COVID-19 syndrome and implications for healthcare service planning: A population-based cohort study. Simuunza MC, editor. PLoS ONE. ;16(7):e0254523 Arnold DT, Hamilton FW, Milne A, Morley AJ, Viner J, Attwood M et al (2021) Patient outcomes after hospitalisation with COVID-19 and implications for follow-up: Results from a prospective UK cohort. Thorax 76(4):399–401 Huang C, Huang L, Wang YY, Li X, Ren L, Gu X et al (2021) 6-month consequences of COVID-19 in patients discharged from hospital: a cohort study. Lancet 397(10270):220–232 Sudre CH, Murray B, Varsavsky T, Graham MS, Penfold RS, Bowyer RC et al (2021) Attributes and predictors of long COVID. Nat Med 27(4):626–631 Moreno-Pérez O, Merino E, Leon-Ramirez JMM, Andres M, Ramos JM, Arenas-Jiménez J et al (2021) Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Incidence and risk factors: A Mediterranean cohort study. J Infect 82(3):378–383 Logue JK, Franko NM, McCulloch DJ, McDonald D, Magedson A, Wolf CCR et al (2021) Sequelae in Adults at 6 Months after COVID-19 Infection. JAMA Netw Open. ;4(2) Chopra V, Flanders SA, O’Malley M, Malani AN, Prescott HC (2021) Sixty-Day Outcomes Among Patients Hospitalized With COVID-19. Ann Intern Med 174(4):576–578 Donnelly JP, Wang XQ, Iwashyna TJ, Prescott HC (2021) Readmission and Death After Initial Hospital Discharge Among Patients With COVID-19 in a Large Multihospital System. JAMA 325(3):304–306 Sigfrid L, Cevik M, Jesudason E, Lim WS, Rello J, Amuasi J et al (2021) What is the recovery rate and risk of long-term consequences following a diagnosis of COVID-19? A harmonised, global longitudinal observational study protocol. BMJ open 11(3):e043887 Trujillo CHS, Sección IX (2021) Síndrome post covid-19: complicaciones tardías y rehabilitación. Infectio. ;290–344 Betancourt-Peña J, Ávila-Valencia JC, Palacios-Gómez M, Rodríguez-Castro J, Benavides-Córdoba V (2021) Translation and cultural adaptation of the post-covid-19 functional status (Pcfs) scale into spanish (colombia). Revista Cubana de Investigaciones Biomedicas EuroQol Research Foundation. EQ-5D-5L User Guide (2019) Available from: https://euroqol.org/publications/user-guides Gutierrez-Delgado C, Galindo-Suárez RM, Cruz-Santiago C, Shah K, Papadimitropoulos M, Feng Y et al (2021) EQ-5D-5L Health-State Values for the Mexican Population. Appl Health Econ Health Policy 19(6):905–914 Devlin NJ, Parkin D, Browne J (2010) Patient-reported outcome measures in the NHS: new methods for analysing and reporting EQ-5D data. Health Econ 19(8):886–905 Taquet M, Dercon Q, Luciano S, Geddes JR, Husain M, Harrison PJ (2021) Incidence, co-occurrence, and evolution of long-COVID features: A 6-month retrospective cohort study of 273,618 survivors of COVID-19. PLoS Med 18(9):e1003773 Fernández-de-las-Peñas C, Palacios-Ceña D, Gómez-Mayordomo V, Florencio LL, Cuadrado ML, Plaza-Manzano G et al (2021) Prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms in hospitalized and non-hospitalized COVID-19 survivors: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Intern Med 92:55 Lopez-Leon S, Wegman-Ostrosky T, Perelman C, Sepulveda R, Rebolledo PA, Cuapio A et al (2021) More than 50 Long-term effects of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. medRxiv: the preprint server for health sciences Serrano MN, Muñoz OM, Rueda C, Arboleda AC, Botero JD, Bustos MM (2023) Factors associated with oxygen requirement and persistent symptoms 1 year after severe COVID-19 infection. J Int Med Res 51(5):03000605231173317 Anaya JM, Rojas M, Salinas ML, Rodríguez Y, Roa G, Lozano M et al (2021) Post-COVID syndrome. A case series and comprehensive review. Autoimmun Rev 20(11):102947 Bai F, Tomasoni D, Falcinella C, Barbanotti D, Castoldi R, Mulè G et al (2021) Female gender is associated with long COVID syndrome: a prospective cohort study. Clin Microbiol infection: official publication Eur Soc Clin Microbiol Infect Dis Sykes DL, Holdsworth L, Jawad N, Gunasekera P, Morice AH, Crooks MG (2021) Post-COVID-19 Symptom Burden: What is Long-COVID and How Should We Manage It? Lung 199(2):113–119 Su Y, Yuan D, Chen DG, Ng RH, Wang K, Choi J et al (2022) Multiple Early Factors Anticipate Post-Acute COVID-19 Sequelae. Cell. ;0(0) Kronzer VL, Bridges SL, Davis JM (2021) Why women have more autoimmune diseases than men: An evolutionary perspective. Evol Appl 14(3):629 Fernández-De-las-peñas C, Martín-Guerrero JD, Pellicer-Valero ÓJ, Navarro-Pardo E, Gómez-Mayordomo V, Cuadrado ML et al (2022) Female Sex Is a Risk Factor Associated with Long-Term Post-COVID Related-Symptoms but Not with COVID-19 Symptoms: The LONG-COVID-EXP-CM Multicenter Study. J Clin Med 2022 11(413):413 Wijeratne T, Crewther S (2020) Post-COVID 19 Neurological Syndrome (PCNS); a novel syndrome with challenges for the global neurology community. J Neurol Sci 419:117179 Guedj E, Campion JY, Dudouet P, Kaphan E, Bregeon F, Tissot-Dupont H et al (2021) 18F-FDG brain PET hypometabolism in patients with long COVID. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 48(9):1 Batabyal R, Freishtat N, Hill E, Rehman M, Freishtat R, Koutroulis I (2005) Metabolic dysfunction and immunometabolism in COVID-19 pathophysiology and therapeutics. International Journal of Obesity 2021;45(6):1 Thompson EJ, Williams DM, Walker AJ, Mitchell RE, Niedzwiedz CL, Yang TC et al Risk factors for long COVID: analyses of 10 longitudinal studies and electronic health records in the UK Munblit D, Bobkova P, Spiridonova E, Shikhaleva A, Gamirova A, Blyuss O et al (2021) Incidence and risk factors for persistent symptoms in adults previously hospitalized for COVID-19. Clin experimental allergy: J Br Soc Allergy Clin Immunol 51(9):1107–1120 Yong SJ (2021) Long COVID or post-COVID-19 syndrome: putative pathophysiology, risk factors, and treatments. Infectious diseases. (London England) 53(10):737–754 Su Y, Yuan D, Chen DG, Ng RH, Wang K, Choi J et al (2022) Multiple Early Factors Anticipate Post-Acute COVID-19 Sequelae. Cell Rawal G, Yadav S, Kumar R (2017) Post-intensive care syndrome: An overview. J Translational Intern Med 5(2):90–92 Hung TM, Wills B, Clapham HE, Yacoub S, Turner HC (2019) The Uncertainty Surrounding the Burden of Post-acute Consequences of Dengue Infection. Trends Parasitol 35(9):673–676 Burki TK (2016) Post-Ebola syndrome. Lancet Infect Dis 16(7):780–781 De Lorenzo R, Cinel E, Cilla M, Compagnone N, Ferrante M, Falbo E et al (2021) Physical and psychological sequelae at three months after acute illness in COVID-19 survivors. Panminerva Med Schou TM, Joca S, Wegener G, Bay-Richter C (2021) Psychiatric and neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 - A systematic review. Brain Behav Immun 97:328–348 Sigfrid L, Drake TM, Pauley E, Jesudason EC, Olliaro P, Lim WS et al (2021) Long Covid in adults discharged from UK hospitals after Covid-19: A prospective, multicentre cohort study using the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol. Lancet Reg Health Eur 8:100186 2021/08/14 Docherty AB, Harrison EM, Green CA, Hardwick HE, Pius R, Norman L et al (2020) Features of 20 133 UK patients in hospital with covid-19 using the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol: prospective observational cohort study. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-3898490","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":274914301,"identity":"49f64ce1-14ed-4bbf-b89b-b8d5436866b9","order_by":0,"name":"Ana Lozano","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ALZAK Foundation","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ana","middleName":"","lastName":"Lozano","suffix":""},{"id":274914302,"identity":"0521984f-b6d9-4eb4-babb-d92c5f2c0be8","order_by":1,"name":"Fernando Salcedo-Mejia","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ALZAK Foundation","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fernando","middleName":"","lastName":"Salcedo-Mejia","suffix":""},{"id":274914303,"identity":"c1f7d9f1-1a06-4df4-87bb-ffc9ffb853c6","order_by":2,"name":"Carmelo Dueñas","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad de Cartagena Facultad de Medicina","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Carmelo","middleName":"","lastName":"Dueñas","suffix":""},{"id":274914304,"identity":"900073ab-3623-43d2-b7fd-b7bf390bb146","order_by":3,"name":"Juan Carlos Fernandez","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad de Cartagena","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Juan","middleName":"Carlos","lastName":"Fernandez","suffix":""},{"id":274914305,"identity":"39801dc5-acad-41ce-a0f7-7fff1776413a","order_by":4,"name":"Marly Jerez Arias","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Fundación SER Social","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Marly","middleName":"Jerez","lastName":"Arias","suffix":""},{"id":274914306,"identity":"586cc3fe-7ea7-44c7-933c-56d975c1bc21","order_by":5,"name":"Justo Paz Wilches","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mutual SER EPS","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Justo","middleName":"Paz","lastName":"Wilches","suffix":""},{"id":274914307,"identity":"01285020-8e7a-45bf-9af7-e0cef0f8e2f6","order_by":6,"name":"Nelson Rafael Alvis Zakzuk","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ALZAK Foundation","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nelson","middleName":"Rafael Alvis","lastName":"Zakzuk","suffix":""},{"id":274914308,"identity":"5bd102f7-a5ea-4c45-b8e7-d3dcc0e3d53b","order_by":7,"name":"Lina Moyano-Tamara","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"ALZAK Foundation","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Lina","middleName":"","lastName":"Moyano-Tamara","suffix":""},{"id":274914309,"identity":"eb6b636c-b76f-40dd-8259-97be467c9e98","order_by":8,"name":"Nelson J. Alvis-Zakzuk","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9382-214X","institution":"Universidad de la Costa: Corporacion Universitaria de la Costa","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nelson","middleName":"J.","lastName":"Alvis-Zakzuk","suffix":""},{"id":274914310,"identity":"01d6b11d-3717-461b-aada-0f73cb6592ef","order_by":9,"name":"Josefina Zakzuk","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad de Cartagena","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Josefina","middleName":"","lastName":"Zakzuk","suffix":""},{"id":274914311,"identity":"8e1a0fea-25d6-46e5-9b74-c60dc53fe213","order_by":10,"name":"Nelson Alvis-Guzman","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad de la Costa: Corporacion Universitaria de la Costa","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Nelson","middleName":"","lastName":"Alvis-Guzman","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-01-25 22:07:41","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3898490/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3898490/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":51774751,"identity":"74ce3138-37ae-440b-b518-b59ffdcc5fd6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-02-28 20:28:35","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1051113,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDyspnea mMRC Scale prior to Covid-19 onset and during the medical visit. \u003c/strong\u003eThe alluvial diagram shows mMRC score changes before and after COVID-19, initial distribution, and percentage transitioning between scores. Flows represent movements with width indicating proportions.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Fig1.graphdisnea.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3898490/v1/42e4dab9fb048a6cbf73f80b.jpg"},{"id":52741200,"identity":"5739d389-9fb5-4d6c-9b8a-cdcf2a1bf4e6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-03-15 07:50:28","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":520784,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3898490/v1/3a476b04-93c4-4fd5-a66c-0e56550f373a.pdf"},{"id":51774752,"identity":"7a356e1c-f1d8-4266-b841-6d69fc7cf8a2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-02-28 20:28:35","extension":"docx","order_by":16,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":33976,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supplementarymaterials.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-3898490/v1/61bea20d685160882bc28518.docx"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in a cohort of hospitalized patients in the North Coast of Colombia","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for public health, decision-makers, and society, with a widespread impact on social, economic, and epidemiological activities. As of March 2023, there were over 677\u0026nbsp;million cases and 6.9\u0026nbsp;million deaths worldwide (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). In Colombia, reports from the National Institute of Health (INS, in Spanish) as of July 2023 indicate 6.4\u0026nbsp;million confirmed cases and 142,780 deaths due to COVID-19 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResearch has focused on preventing or treating severe outcomes and death from COVID-19. However, it is well known that SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to long-term complications that require some degree of support or healthcare services (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Studies conducted in different populations have reported prevalence rates of post-COVID-19 conditions and persistent symptoms ranging from 2.5\u0026ndash;76% (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). The main symptoms include fatigue, dyspnea, cognitive dysfunction, anxiety, depression, muscle, joint, head, and chest pain, sleep problems, but this list can extend to over 50 manifestations (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). These symptoms generally affect daily functioning and can occur in critically and mildly ill patients (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR6 CR7\" citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe above-mentioned conditions show higher figures among cases hospitalized after infection (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e). In this regard, some observational studies conducted in the United States and China have estimated that between 31% and 76% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients experienced persistent symptoms for at least six months after acute illness (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). Other studies in hospitalized patients found that up to 20% required rehospitalization, primarily due to COVID-19, sepsis, or pneumonia, and up to 80% required follow-up in primary care within two months after hospital discharge (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnderstanding the prevalence and severity of post-COVID-19 conditions among hospitalized patients is crucial for developing effective strategies for managing the long-term consequences of the disease. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions and assess their severity in a cohort of patients living in the department (state) of Bol\u0026iacute;var that were previously hospitalized due to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. This research will contribute to the growing body of knowledge on post-COVID-19 conditions; inform healthcare providers, policymakers, and public health experts; and ultimately aid in developing targeted interventions and support systems for individuals recovering from COVID-19.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methodology","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eCross-sectional observational study. The study population consisted of individuals over 18 years old diagnosed with confirmed COVID-19 through RT-PCR who required hospitalization between March 2020 and August 2021 and were affiliated with a Colombian health insurance provider (Mutualser EPS). We included subjects from municipalities located in the North of Bol\u0026iacute;var, including its main city, Cartagena de Indias.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study consisted of two phases: first, participants were contacted via phone call by trained personnel from the healthcare company. At this time, patients must have had three or more months of discharge from the hospital to be included in the study. For those subjects who responded positively to the invitation and provided consent, a questionnaire was administered in order to identify potential post-COVID-19 symptoms. Two symptoms\u0026rsquo; categories were considered, those who are transient (not occurring at the time of phone call) and persistent symptoms for those that continued until the contact time.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the second phase, two months after the telephone survey, a medical visit was conducted in the group of individuals who reported persistent symptoms in the previous call. During the visit, the physician performed a general physical examination and applied a group of standardized questionaries for symptom identification and functional impairment, which were compiled in the protocol published by the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (ISARIC) and the WHO for patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 during hospitalization (ISARIC Form) (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData Source and Outcomes\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eBaseline sociodemographic and clinical data of patients, including age, gender, pre-existing comorbidities, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), dates of admission and hospital discharge were obtained from the insurance provider's administrative database. The primary outcome of the first phase was to estimate the prevalence of at least one symptom three months after hospital discharge for COVID-19, and the secondary outcome was to estimate the associated risk factors.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the second phase, several components from the Spanish version of the ISARIC form were included to assess the following outcomes:1) persistent or new symptoms; 2) fatigue measured on a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 1 to 10, where zero represents no fatigue, and ten represents the worst possible fatigue; 3) disability using the Washington Disability Group Short Form (WG-SS); 4) dyspnea measured using the Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale (MRC), and quality of life using the EuroQol instrument (EQ5D-5L). The last three scores, following the instructions in the ISARIC form, were repeated with the time tense in the past to inquire specifically about pre-COVID-19 status to evaluate the changes experienced by the patient after hospital discharge for COVID-19. Lastly, post-COVID-19 functional status was evaluated using the Post-COVID Functional Status Scale (PCFS) adapted and approved for Colombia (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e). This score ranges from grade 0 to 4, with grade 0 indicating no functional limitations and grade 4 indicating severe functional limitations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSample size\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA stratified random sampling technique was applied for the sample selection from the population study. In the health insurance database, there were reported a total number of 509 recovered patients from severe COVID-19 treated in the hospital (general ward or ICU). It was estimated a sample number of 153 cases in general ward and 92 in ICU, with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI) and 5% of error estimation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStatistical Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eSummary statistics such as mean, standard deviation (SD), interquartile range (IQR), 95%CI as well as absolute and relative frequencies of patients' baseline characteristics were reported. Changes were assessed through statistical tests for differences in means and proportions. Bivariate analyses were performed using one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests for contingency tables involving categorical variables.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eChanges in the values reported by participants before the onset of their COVID-19 illness compared to those reported during the medical visit were evaluated using the mMRC scale, EQ5D-5L instrument, and WG-SS. The summary index of the EQ5D-5L instrument was calculated, allowing for obtaining a value on a scale from 0 to 1, with 1 representing perfect health status and 0 representing the worst imaginable health. The index is based on a set of health state values reflecting the preferences of the general population of a country/region (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e). This set of index values is unique for each country or region. However, considering that Colombia does not have reference index values, the valuation study from Mexico was used (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe overall changes obtained in the different disability domains of the WG-SS and dimensions of the EQ5D-5L, before and after the onset of COVID-19, were summarized using the Pareto Classification of Health Changes (PCHC) method (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e). PCHC classifies the change in an individual's health status as better (improvement in at least one dimension), worse (deterioration in at least one dimension), mixed (improvements and deteriorations in dimensions), or no change in health status.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe demographic, epidemiological, and clinical baseline characteristics of the included COVID-19 cases were used to estimate the increased probability of having at least one symptom three months after hospital discharge for COVID-19. A logistic regression model was estimated to express the results as odds ratios and determine the risk or protector factors. Next, a multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted using stepwise selection guided by the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC). For this purpose, the 'MASS' package in R, along with the StepAIC function, was utilized. All variables from the bivariate analysis were included, and in the final model, the variable 'age' was added. The results of this analysis were expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for the included variables. All analyses were performed using the statistical software R version 4.3.1 and the packages: 'dplyr,' 'arsenal,' 'MASS,' and 'broom.' The significance level was set at 5%.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEthical Considerations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInformed consent\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003ewas obtained from all patients involved in the study. The research protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of IMAT (Monter\u0026iacute;a, Colombia), with reference code ONC-CEI-CEI-1123-2021.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePatient Characteristics\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrom the total number of cases registered in the claims database (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;509), 487 patients had a registered telephone number and were contacted via phone call. Two hundred and two subjects who had been previously hospitalized due to COVID-19 in the observation window were included in this study. Reasons for not participating in the study are detailed in Supplementary Fig.\u0026nbsp;1. The mean age of the study sample was 55.6 (SD\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;17.2) years, and approximately half were male (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;104, 51.5%). Forty-nine percent (99 out of 202) of the individuals had at least one comorbidity, with the most common being hypertension (35.6%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (18.8%), and cardiovascular disease (8.4%). The median length of stay for hospitalization was eight days (IQR: 4\u0026ndash;13 days), and 22.8% of the patients (46 out of 202) required ICU. The sociodemographic and clinical variables distribution between women and men did not show significant differences (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). However, the percentage of women in the 6 to 12 months post-hospital discharge group was higher than that of men.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eClinical and sociodemographic characteristics of the total number of patients included in the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWomen (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;98)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMen (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;104)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;202)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ep*\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge [Mean (SD)]\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53.7 (15.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.4 (18.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.6 (17.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.155\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"4\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eComorbidities [n(%)]\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt least one comorbidity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52 (53.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47 (45.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99 (49.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.264\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHypertension\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38 (38.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34 (32.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72 (35.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.367\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eType 2 Diabetes Mellitus\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 (16.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22 (21.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38 (18.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.380\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCardiovascular disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (8.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (8.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (8.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.900\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eObesity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (9.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (6.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 (7.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.519\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChronic kidney disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (5.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (4.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (5.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.923\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsthma\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (4.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (1.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (3.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.366\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCOPD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (2.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (2.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.342\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChronic respiratory disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (2.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (1.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (2.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.952\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCerebrovascular disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (1.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (1.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.168\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCancer\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (0.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.302\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChronic neurological disorder\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (0.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.330\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRheumatologic disorder\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (0.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.302\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHospitalization unit [n(%)]\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.368\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGeneral Ward\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73 (74.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83 (79.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e156 (77.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntensive Care Unit (ICU)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25 (25.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21 (20.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46 (22.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDays of hospitalization [Median (IQR)]\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR5 CR6 CR7 CR8 CR9 CR10 CR11\" citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR5 CR6 CR7 CR8 CR9 CR10 CR11 CR12 CR13\" citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR5 CR6 CR7 CR8 CR9 CR10 CR11 CR12\" citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.951\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTime to hospital discharge [n (%)]\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.017\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u0026ndash;5 months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37 (37.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40 (38.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77 (38.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u0026ndash;12 months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43 (43.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29 (27.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72 (35.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMore than 12 months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18 (18.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35 (33.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53 (26.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePost-COVID 19 symptoms are common among previous hospitalized patients\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAccording to the telephone survey, the prevalence of at least one post-hospitalization condition after three months of COVID-19 hospitalization was 78.7 (95% CI: 72.4\u0026ndash;84.1) per 100 people. The most common symptoms reported were fatigue (55.4%), joint pain (46.0%), dyspnea (44.6%), sleep disorders (36.1%), anorexia (33.7%), and chest pain (31.7%). Additionally, 39.1% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;79) of the patients had difficulty performing their daily activities. The rest of the reported symptoms are listed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e. Of the interviewed participants, 65.3% (132 out of 202) reported at least one symptom during the phone contact. Considering the time since hospital discharge, 66.2% (51 out of 77), 68.1% (49 out of 72), and 60.4% (32 out of 53) of the patients at 3\u0026ndash;5 months, 6\u0026ndash;12 months, and more than 12 months after hospital discharge, respectively, had at least one persistent symptom. Joint pain and fatigue were the most frequently reported symptoms that persisted at the time of the call (36.1%) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency of symptom reporting following hospitalization for COVID-19.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSymptom\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency of reporting (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;202)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAt least 3 months\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePersistent*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFatigue\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112 (55.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73 (36.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJoint pain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93 (46.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73 (36.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDyspnea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90 (44.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57 (28.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSleep disorders\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73 (36.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54 (26.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnorexia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68 (33.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28 (13.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChest pain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64 (31.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37 (18.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeadache\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55 (27.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25 (12.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConfusion, disorientation, or drowsiness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55 (27.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31 (15.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCough\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52 (25.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27 (13.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHoarse voice\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38 (18.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (8.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiarrhea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35 (17.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (3.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbdominal pain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34 (16.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 (7.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOdynophagia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34 (16.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14 (6.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFever\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21 (10.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnosmia or ageusia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17 (8.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (5.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eFemale sex and ICU hospitalization are directly associated with post-COVID conditions\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the bivariate analysis presented in Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS1\u003c/span\u003e, sex and ICU hospitalization were significantly associated with at least one post-COVID-19 condition. After multivariate analysis (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e) being women remained associated with a higher likelihood of having at least one post-COVID-19 condition (aOR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.32\u0026ndash;6.52; p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.01) as well as the requirement of ICU hospitalization (aOR: 4.23; 95% CI: 1.45\u0026ndash;16.12; p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.02).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMultivariate analysis variables associated with at least one symptom three months after hospital discharge for COVID-19.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eaOR\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95% IC\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ep.value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Intercept)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2.63\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(0.66\u0026ndash;10.84)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.17\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSex Women\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.85\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(1.32\u0026ndash;6.52)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eICU admission\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(1.45\u0026ndash;16.12)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEarly Cough during COVID-19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(1.11\u0026ndash;5.18)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAny Comorbidity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(1.16\u0026ndash;6.68)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.02\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChronic respiratory disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(0.02\u0026ndash;1.72)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsthma\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(0.02\u0026ndash;1.29)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.06\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChronic kidney disease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.07\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(0.01\u0026ndash;0.35)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(0.98\u0026ndash;1.02)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.90\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBased on this result, the difference in the prevalence of symptoms was subsequently compared with the variable sex and ICU admission. We found that dyspnea, sleep disorders, chest pain, and headache were more frequent in women (Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS2\u003c/span\u003e). Meanwhile, there were no significant differences in the symptoms evaluated when comparing patients who required ICU and those who did not (Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eOutcomes in Patients with Post-COVID-19 Conditions.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOut of the 132 participants who had persistent symptoms during the telephone interview, conducting in-person visits with 101 of them was possible. Among these, 56.4% (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;57) were women, with a mean age of 57.7 (SD\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;16.3) years (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency and sex-distribution of reported symptoms during the medical consultation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSymptom\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMen (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;44)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWomen (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;57)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;101)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eP*\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeakness in arms or legs/muscle weakness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23 (52.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39 (68.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62 (61.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.098\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDyspnea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20 (45.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32 (56.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52 (51.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.287\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePersistent muscle pain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 (36.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34 (59.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50 (49.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.020\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFatigue\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21 (47.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20 (35.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41 (40.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.200\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eConfusion/lack of concentration\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e9 (20.5)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e25 (43.9)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e35 (34.7)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.014\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDizziness\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e9 (20.5)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e25 (43.9)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e34 (33.7)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.014\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSleep problems\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (22.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22 (38.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32 (31.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.089\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHeadache\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e7 (15.9)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e19 (33.3)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e26 (25.7)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e0.047\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHeart palpitations/racing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (15.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18 (31.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25 (24.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.070\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJoint pain or swelling\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (25.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (19.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22 (21.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.491\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBalance problems\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (22.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (17.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20 (19.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.517\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChest pains\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (20.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (17.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19 (18.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.711\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLoss of appetite\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (11.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (17.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15 (14.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.386\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRinging in the ears\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (9.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (19.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15 (14.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.153\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVision problems\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (9.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (15.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13 (12.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.319\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePain when breathing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (11.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (12.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 (11.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.888\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiarrhea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (13.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (8.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (10.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.437\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbdominal stomach pain\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (6.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (14.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (10.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.248\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCough\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (6.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (10.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (8.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.517\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShivering/shaking\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (9.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (7.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (7.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.702\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSwollen ankles\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (6.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (8.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (7.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.718\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eErectile dysfunction\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (6.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (6.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRash\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (4.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (8.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7 (6.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.407\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFeeling sick/vomiting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (2.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (8.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (5.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.171\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChanges in menstruation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNA\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeight loss\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (4.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (5.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.869\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTrouble speaking or communicating\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (9.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.092\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWeakness/fainting\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (6.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.196\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConstipation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (4.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (3.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.791\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInability to move completely or control movement\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (6.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.196\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProblems urinating\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (2.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (5.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.445\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProblems swallowing or chewing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (4.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (1.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.413\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLoss of sense of taste\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (2.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.253\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLoss of sense of smell\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (2.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0 (0.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.253\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"5\"\u003en(%)\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOf the 101 patients, 99 (98%) reported at least one symptom during the medical visit that they did not have prior to contracting COVID-19 (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e), even though half of them (51.5%) referred to be feel fully recovered from the illness (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). The most frequently reported symptoms were arms or legs\u0026rsquo; weakness and dyspnea, occurring in more than half of the population (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Women reported confusion/lack of concentration, dizziness, and headache more frequently than men, with a significant difference (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePost-COVID-19 Outcomes Distributed by sex.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMan\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWoman\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCOVID-19 Recovery Self-Report\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20 (45.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32 (56.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e52 (51.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDisagree\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23 (52.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23 (40.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46 (45.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNot know\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1 (2.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2 (3.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (3.0%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOverall change rate EQ5D-5L\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedian (IQR)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.07 (-0.15 to -0.01)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e-0.108 (-0.14 to -0.05)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.01 (-0.14 to -0.05)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGeneral Health EVA\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedian (IQR)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72.5 (57.5 to 85)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70 (60 to 80)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70 (60 to 80)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWG-SS\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.24\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNew or worsening\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32 (72.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47 (82.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79 (78.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo change\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 (27.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10 (17.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22 (21.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLevel of fatigue\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedian (IQR)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (2 to 4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (3 to 4.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (2 to 4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eChange in breathlessness\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIncrease\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26 (59.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45 (80.4%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72 (71.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo change\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18 (40.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (19.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29 (28.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePCFS Scale\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.003\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade 1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23 (52.3%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14 (24.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37 (36.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade 2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9 (20.5%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26 (45.6%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35 (34.7%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade 3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4 (9.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12 (21.1%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 (15.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGrade 4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (18.2%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 (8.8%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13 (12.9%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdditionally, 71.3% (72 out of 101) of the participants reported increased dyspnea compared to their pre-COVID-19 state (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). This report was higher in women than men (80.4% vs. 59.1%, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.03) while there were no differences between those who required ICU and those who did not (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS5\u003c/span\u003e). Among participants with an mMRC grade 0 (80.2%, 81 out of 101) prior to COVID-19, 27.1% (22 out of 81) reported an increase to grade 1\u0026ndash;2, and 49.4% (40 out of 81) reported an increase to grades 3\u0026ndash;4 based on their status during the medical visit (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegarding fatigue, the EVA score had a median of 3 (IQR: 2\u0026ndash;4), with no differences between men and women or between those who required ICU and those who did not. However, when comparing the group of patients who reported fatigue in the post-COVID symptom section with those who did not, a significant difference was observed between the two groups [4 (IQR: 3\u0026ndash;5) vs. 3 (IQR: 2\u0026ndash;4), p: 0.013] (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe EQ5D-5L index was 10% lower after COVID-19 than before (median difference: -0.01 points, IQR: -0.14 to -0.05). There were no differences by sex, but those who required ICU showed a higher change in the index compared to those who did not enter the ICU (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e, Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS5\u003c/span\u003e). Seventy-seven percent (77 out of 100) of the participants experienced worsening in at least one evaluated dimension (Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS6\u003c/span\u003e). The dimensions of the EQ5D-5L in which most participants reported worsening were pain/discomfort (70%, 70 out of 100), usual activities (39%, 39 out of 100), and anxiety/depression (39%, 39 out of 100). In the VAS, which records the respondent's self-rated health, participants had a median of 70 (IQR: 60\u0026ndash;80), with no differences by sex or ICU admission (Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS6\u003c/span\u003e, Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMost patients (76 out of 101, 75.3%) experienced new or worsened disability in at least one domain of the WG-SS, with no differences by sex or ICU requirement (Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS6\u003c/span\u003e, Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS3\u003c/span\u003e). The most affected domain was mobility (59.4%, 60 out of 101), followed by cognition or remembering (37.6%, 38 out of 101) (Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the PCFS functionality scale, during the medical visit, 36.6% (37 out of 101) were in grade 1, 34.7% (35 out of 101) in grade 2, 15.8% (16 out of 101) in grade 3, and 12.9% (13 out of 101) in grade 4 (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). Women reported grade 1 less frequently, with a significant difference in the overall distribution compared to men. The requirement of the ICU did not lead to a higher report of advanced PCFS grades (Table \u003cspan refid=\"MOESM5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003eS5\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eHere, we report the prevalence of post-COVID-19 conditions in a representative sample of previously hospitalized patients with COVID-19 living in Bol\u0026iacute;var, Colombia. Our observations indicate that these conditions are frequent and disabling, with approximately 8 out of 10 patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization during the acute phase of the disease experiencing at least one condition after three months. Within this group, more than 70% showed deterioration in their health status (EQ5D-5L Scale) or new or worsened disability in at least one domain of the Washington Group. Additionally, a high proportion of patients (\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;60%), continue to experience symptoms 12 months after discharge.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA median of six symptoms per patient was reported, with fatigue, joint pain, and dyspnea being the most common, and 40% experiencing impairment in their daily activities. These results are consistent with those observed in other countries for patients with an antecedent of hospitalization (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR19\" citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e). In Colombia, there have been two published reports on the presentation of post-COVID-19 conditions. Compared to these data, the obtained prevalence rate of dyspnea was more similar to that reported by Serrano et al., in which 31% of patients experienced dyspnea one year after ICU discharge (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e). Anaya et al. found a lower rate of this symptom in a sample of 100 patients with an antecedent of SARS-CoV-2 infection (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e). The current study, which analyzes a population living in a region at sea level, and the previous reports on Bogot\u0026aacute; (a high-altitude city) support that respiratory symptoms are common and persistent in a substantial proportion of Colombian patients who recovered from acute COVID-19.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the current study, we observed that being a woman and requiring ICU admission were potential risk factors for experiencing at least one post-COVID-19 condition. Prior research has identified a heightened risk of developing post-COVID-19 symptoms in women, regardless of hospitalization status (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e), and they were more prone to reporting lingering symptom (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e). From a pathophysiological perspective, no studies have explained why women experience post-COVID-19 conditions more frequently than men. However, a study showed that the presence of autoantibodies is associated with the presence of post-COVID-19 symptoms (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e), and considering that women have a greater propensity to develop a higher number of antibodies and autoantibodies (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e), this could be one of the reasons why women more frequently manifest post-COVID-19 conditions. Similarly, in our analysis, we observed a significant increase in the presentation of respiratory difficulty, chest pain, and fatigue in women compared with men, which is consistent with previous studies (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, although the proportion of women in the 6 to 12 months post-discharge group was higher than that of men, there were no significant differences in the presentation of symptoms according to sex and time of hospital discharge (data not presented).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilar to other studies, our findings showed a significant association between ICU admission and manifestation of post-COVID-19 conditions. Severe COVID-19 may be a risk factor for owing to its propensity to elicit an intensified immune response which may amplify the risk of organ impairment (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR29\" citationid=\"CR28\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e28\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e30\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, managing severe cases of COVID-19 often requires the use of corticosteroids and intubation, which can result in enduring adverse effects that may later manifest as post-COVID-19 conditions. Similarly, a cohort study observed that high level of RNA in the blood at the time of diagnosis, which may also be related to disease severity, are a risk factor for developing post-COVID-19 conditions (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn our study, comorbidities were not associated with the presentation of post-COVID conditions. These results are consistent with previous prospective and retrospective studies (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR32\" citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR33\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e33\u003c/span\u003e). However, other studies have found that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for post-COVID conditions (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR34\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e34\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, some post-COVID conditions, such as fatigue, dyspnea, and psychiatric disorders, are related to pre-existing conditions such as asthma, chronic pulmonary disease, and psychiatric disorders (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e31\u003c/span\u003e). In our study, we assessed the risk factors for each of the most frequent symptoms (fatigue, dyspnea, joint pain, and sleep disorders), but no association was found (data not presented). These results may be due to the sample of patients who had comorbidities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe also quantified significant deterioration in disability, disability related to dyspnea, and overall health status. The severity of dyspnea may arise from direct lung injury; however, the causes of fatigue, pain, and cognitive issues remain unclear. Their resemblance to symptoms of other post-infectious and post-intensive care syndromes could provide insights into potential mechanisms such as autoimmunity triggered by infection (\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR36\" citationid=\"CR35\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e35\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR37\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e37\u003c/span\u003e). Furthermore, a significant percentage of participants reported worsening symptoms of anxiety and depression, as reported in previous studies (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR38\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e38\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e), highlighting the importance of psychological monitoring during the follow-up of post-COVID-19 patients.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the strengths of this study, we used a questionnaire that collected the most frequently reported symptoms in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, which was evaluated through a systematic review by our research group (unpublished data). Additionally, within the group of patients with persistent conditions, we applied a validated questionnaire and a current reference to evaluate disability and changes in health status in hospitalized COVID-19 patients (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR40\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e40\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR41\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e41\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA limitation of our study is that data on post-COVID-19 conditions were not collected prospectively; thus, no temporal relationships (onset date) between the disease and the course of symptoms could be performed. Finally, our findings were limited by the absence of a control group and prehospitalization assessments for COVID-19.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, our study demonstrates that post-COVID-19 conditions in previously hospitalized patients are highly prevalent, which can adversely affect patients' quality of life and lead to an increased demand for healthcare services.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe wish to extend our acknowledgment to Laura Cabarcas and Dr. Manuel Tijera of \u0026ldquo;Fundaci\u0026oacute;n Ser Social IPS\u0026rdquo; for their important contributions as they played pivotal roles in overseeing and conducting the medical visits during this study. Their valuable expertise and efforts were instrumental in the successful execution of this research. Additionally, we extend our sincere appreciation to Sofia Rodriguez Bolle for her significant contribution in translating the manuscript and volunteering in knowledge generation activities for the ALZAK Foundation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFundaci\u0026oacute;n Ser Social IPS.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of Interest:\u003c/strong\u003e The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDong E, Du H, Gardner L (2020) An interactive web-based dashboard to track COVID-19 in real time. Lancet Infect Dis 20(5):533\u0026ndash;534\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInstituto Nacionald de Salud. Casos de COVID-19 en Colombia [Internet]. [cited 2021 Feb 27]. Available from: \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.ins.gov.co/Noticias/Paginas/coronavirus-casos.aspx\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.ins.gov.co/Noticias/Paginas/coronavirus-casos.aspx\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eL\u0026oacute;pez-Le\u0026oacute;n S, Wegman-Ostrosky T, Perelman C, Sepulveda R, Rebolledo PA, Cuapio A et al (2021) More than 50 Long-Term Effects of COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. SSRN Electron J\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMenges D, Ballouz T, Anagnostopoulos A, Aschmann HE, Domenghino A, Fehr JS et al (2021) Burden of post-COVID-19 syndrome and implications for healthcare service planning: A population-based cohort study. Simuunza MC, editor. 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Lancet Reg Health Eur 8:100186 2021/08/14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDocherty AB, Harrison EM, Green CA, Hardwick HE, Pius R, Norman L et al (2020) Features of 20 133 UK patients in hospital with covid-19 using the ISARIC WHO Clinical Characterisation Protocol: prospective observational cohort study. BMJ (Clinical Res ed). ;369\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"COVID-19, EQ5D-5L, post-COVID, Colombia, prevalence","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3898490/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3898490/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eUnderstanding the prevalence and severity of post-COVID-19 conditions among hospitalized patients is crucial for developing effective strategies for managing the long-term consequences of the disease. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and severity of post-COVID-19 conditions in previously hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The study involved two phases: first, participants were contacted via phone call by trained personnel from the healthcare company and surveyed. In the second phase, two months after the telephone survey, a medical visit was conducted in the group of individuals who reported persistent symptoms in the previous call. Summary statistics such as mean, standard deviation (SD), interquartile range (IQR), 95%CI as well as absolute and relative frequencies of patients' baseline characteristics were reported. Changes were assessed through statistical tests for differences in means and proportions. Multivariate analyses were also conducted. The prevalence of at least one post-hospitalization condition after three months of COVID-19 hospitalization was 78.7 per 100 people. The most common symptoms included fatigue (55.4%), joint pain (46.0%), dyspnea (44.6%), sleep disorders (36.1%), anorexia (33.7%), and chest pain (31.7%). These conditions were frequent and disabling, experiencing at least one condition after three months. Within this group, more than 70% showed a deterioration in their health status (EQ5D-5L Scale) or experienced new or worsened disability in at least one domain of the Washington Group. Our study demonstrates that post-COVID-19 conditions in previously hospitalized patients are highly prevalent, which can adversely affect patients' quality of life and lead to increased demand for healthcare services.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in a cohort of hospitalized patients in the North Coast of Colombia","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-02-28 20:28:30","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-3898490/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c0012b2b-4d44-4cd9-9746-8571b36640f7","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 28th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-03-15T07:50:19+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-02-28 20:28:30","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-3898490","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-3898490","identity":"rs-3898490","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}