The frequency of post-COVID-19 condition and its clinical relevance after COVID-19 disease of employees in facilities of preschool childcare

Abstract

Structured summary: Objective: Evaluation of the rate and symptoms of Post-COVID-19 condition in employees in childcare. Methods: A structured questionnaire collected data from two distinct collectives: Collective 1 (C1) consisted of a prospective cohort of 44 employees after COVID-19 disease, whereas Collective 2 (C2) included 222 employees who were retrospectively interviewed. The questionnaire mainly focused on symptoms and wellbeing during or after COVID-19. Results: The main symptoms of Post-COVID-19 condition were impairment of focus, fatigue/exhaustion, reduced stamina, headache and dyspnoea. 30 % of the employees in C1 and 7.6 % of C2 suffered from a clinically relevant Post-COVID-19 condition with impairment of the general wellbeing. According to the WHO definition, a Post-COVID-19 condition was found in 56.6 % (C1) and 25.5 % (C2). Conclusions: A Post-COVID-19 condition was a common finding in both our collectives but did not automatically cause an impairment of general wellbeing.

Keywords

• Post-COVID-19 condition
• Symptoms
• Wellbeing
• COVID-19 disease
• Preschool childcare
• SARS-CoV-2