Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 and Health-Related Quality of Life of Mild Cases an outpatient clinic

Background/aim: The clinical spectrum of COVID-19 infection ranges from asymptomatic infection to deadly and potentially lethal disease. Although some studies have been performed, data on the long-term effects and persistent symptoms after COVID-19 are limited. We aimed to evaluate the long-term effects in an adult population with SARS-CoV-2 infection treated in a patient clinic.

Materials and Methods: The study included a random sample of 231 adults (≥18 years) with a positive outpatient test result for SARS-CoV-2 who were not hospitalized. We adapted six quality of life questionnaires already validated. We performed an overall analysis of the frequency of responses and then statistically correlated the frequency of symptoms with gender, age, and presence of comorbidities. Results: The mean age was 40.25 years old, 62.8% were women, who had a higher frequency of various symptoms (p < 0.05). We found a higher frequency of symptoms associated with SARS-CoV-2 in patients under 40 years: Shortness of breath at rest (p = 0.004), Shortness of breath when walking at your own pace (p = 0.007), Shortness of breath when performing sexual activities (p = 0.047), Tired or low energy (p = 0.002), Difficulty in concentrating (p = 0.047), Heart change even without physical exertion (p = 0.005), Headache (p = 0.007) and Memory problems (p = 0.031).

Conclusion: Our study showed that individuals that required no hospitalization might have persistent quality of life symptoms after recovery from COVID-19 infection. Therefore, there is a need for long-term follow-up and rehabilitation strategies for patients should be developed.