International Journal of General Medicine (Sep 2022)

A Comprehensive Assessment of Self-Reported Post COVID-19 Symptoms Among Beneficiaries of Hospital Employee Scheme at a Tertiary Healthcare Institution in Northern India

  • Senjam SS,
  • Balhara YPS,
  • Kumar P,
  • Nischal N,
  • Manna S,
  • Madan K,
  • Ahmed NH,
  • Gupta N,
  • Vashist P,
  • Guleria R

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 15
pp. 7355 – 7372

Abstract

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Suraj Singh Senjam,1 Yatan Pal Singh Balhara,2 Pameshwar Kumar,3 Neeraj Nischal,4 Souvik Manna,1 Karan Madan,5 Nishat Hussain Ahmed,1 Noopur Gupta,1 Praveen Vashist,1 Randeep Guleria5 1Dr Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; 2Department of Psychiatry, National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; 3Department of Hospital Administration, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; 4Department of Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India; 5Department of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, IndiaCorrespondence: Suraj Singh Senjam, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, Tel +91-011-2659-3032 ; +91 9968856431, Email [email protected]: With millions of people being affected by COVID-19, people living with post COVID-19 clinical symptoms (PCS) are expected to rise further. The primary aim of the study was to comprehensively assess self-reported PCS and its associated risk factors among beneficiaries of Hospital Employee Scheme of a tertiary healthcare institution in Delhi.Patients and Methods: An online cross-sectional study was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire developed by employing nominal group technique among individuals aged 18 years and above who were novel SARS-CoV-2 positive from January to April 2021. Participants were telephoned first, before sending the online survey link. Socio-demographic data, information on PCS along with potential risk factors, pre-existing morbidities, vaccination status, severity of acute illness and management were collected between June and July 2021. PCS was presented as relative frequency; Chi-Square test and odds ratio; adjusted values were used to rule out any association between PCS and predictors.Results: In total, 773 of 1801 eligible participants responded to the survey (completion rate 42.9%), with a median age of 34 years (IQR 27– 44). Males accounted for 56.4% and PCS was present in 33.2%. The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (79.3%), arthralgia (33.4%), myalgia (29.9%), hair loss (28.0%), headache (27.2%), breathlessness (25.3%), and sleep disturbance (25.3%). The prevalence of PCS was reduced to 12.8% at 12 weeks. Female gender, older age, oxygen supplementation, severity of acute illness, and pre-existing co-morbidities were positively associated with PCS. Vaccination (second dose) reduced the odds of developing PCS by 39% compared to unvaccinated participants (aOR 0.61; 95% CI 0.40– 0.96).Conclusion: PCS affects almost all organ systems of the body, regardless of the severity of acute COVID-19 illness. Two doses of vaccine hel reduce the development of PCS.Keywords: COVID-19, post COVID-19 symptoms, long COVID-19, cross-sectional study, Northern India

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