Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives (Jun 2024)

Prevalence and patterns of post-COVID-19 symptoms in recovered patients of Delhi, India: a population-based study

  • Nidhi Bhatnagar,
  • Mongjam Meghachandra Singh,
  • Hitakshi Sharma,
  • Suruchi Mishra,
  • Gurmeet Singh,
  • Shivani Rao,
  • Amod Borle,
  • Tanu Anand,
  • Naresh Kumar,
  • Binita Goswami,
  • Sarika Singh,
  • Mahima Kapoor,
  • Sumeet Singla,
  • Bembem Khuraijam,
  • Nita Khurana,
  • Urvi Sharma,
  • Suneela Garg

DOI
https://doi.org/10.24171/j.phrp.2023.0251
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 3
pp. 229 – 237

Abstract

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Objectives Post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms were widely reported.However, data on post-COVID-19 conditions following infection with the Omicron variant remained scarce. This prospective study was conducted to understand the prevalence, patterns, and duration of symptoms in patients who had recovered from COVID-19. Methods A prospective study was conducted across 11 districts of Delhi, India, among individuals who had recovered from COVID-19. Study participants were enrolled, and then returned for post-recovery follow-up at 3 months and 6 months interval. Results The mean age of study participants was 42.07 years, with a standard deviation of 14.89 years. The majority of the participants (79.7%) reported experiencing post-COVID-19 symptoms. The most common symptoms included joint pain (36.0%), persistent dry cough (35.7%), anxiety (28.4%), and shortness of breath (27.1%). Other symptoms were persistent fatigue (21.6%), persistent headache (20.0%), forgetfulness (19.7%), and limb weakness (18.6%). The longest duration of symptom was observed to be anxiety (138.75±54.14 days), followed by fatigue (137.57±48.33 days), shortness of breath (131.89±60.21 days), and joint pain/swelling (131.59±58.76 days). At the first follow-up visit, 2.2% of participants presented with abnormal electrocardiogram readings, but no abnormalities were noticed during the second follow-up. Additionally, 4.06% of participants exhibited abnormal chest X-ray findings at the first follow-up, which decreased to 2.16% by the second visit. Conclusion The most frequently reported post-COVID-19 symptoms were joint pain, dry cough, anxiety and shortness of breath. These clinical symptoms persisted for up to 6 months, with evidence of multi-system involvement. Consequently, findings highlighted the need for long-term follow-up during the post-COVID-19 period.

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