Abstract
Background: Although many of SARS-CoV-2 infected recover without complications, some have a prolonged illness, but the evidence for their characteristics is limited. Objective: To study in general medicine clinical-epidemiological characteristics of patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (persistent symptoms and/or delayed or long-term complications beyond 4 weeks from the onset of symptoms).
Methodology: An observational, longitudinal and retrospective case series study of patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, based on a prospective cohort of COVID-19 patients in a family medicine office in Toledo (Spain) was carried out from March 15, 2020 to March 31, 2021.
Results: 33 patients were included, 58% were women. Mean age was 54 years. All but one was symptomatic in the acute phase. Half of the patients required sick leave, 51% had moderate-severe severity in the acute phase and 42% required hospitalization. 54% had at least one chronic disease, predominantly endocrinological with 21% and cardiovascular with 19%. The main symptoms in the post-acute phase were: 36% general (discomfort, asthenia, myalgia, and fever), 32% respiratory symptoms (cough, dyspnea, chest pain), and ENT symptoms (anosmia/ageusia, odynophagia, rhinorrhea, dryness and pharyngeal mucus) 14%. There were no statistically significant differences between symptoms in the acute phase and the post-acute phase. 14 new health problems were diagnosed in the 33 patients during the post-acute period: oral candidiasis, bacterial endocarditis, 2 diabetes mellitus type 2, pathological grief, limb tremor, myopathy, lower limb deep vein thrombosis, angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation, pulmonary embolism, gallstones, acute gout, and renal colic.
Conclusion: In the context of general medicine in Toledo (Spain), patients with post-acute COVID-19 are predominantly women, with mean age of 54 years, with previous chronic endocrinological and cardiovascular diseases, which presented moderate-severe severity and frequently required admission hospital, with general and respiratory symptoms, both in the acute and post-acute phases, with no differences between the two.
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