Frontiers in Pain Research (Nov 2021)

Pain and Other Neurological Symptoms Are Present at 3 Months After Hospitalization in COVID-19 Patients

  • Jude P. J. Savarraj,
  • Angela B. Burkett,
  • Sarah N. Hinds,
  • Atzhiry S. Paz,
  • Andres Assing,
  • Shivanki Juneja,
  • Gabriela D. Colpo,
  • Luis F. Torres,
  • Sung-Min Cho,
  • Aaron M. Gusdon,
  • Louise D. McCullough,
  • H. Alex Choi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2021.737961
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2

Abstract

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COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic with a devastating impact on public health. Acute neurological symptoms have been reported after a COVID-19 diagnosis, however, the long-term neurological symptoms including pain is not well established. Using a prospective registry of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, we assessed pain and neurological function (including functional, cognitive and psychiatric assessments) of several hospitalized patients at 3 months. Our main finding is that 60% of the patients report pain symptoms. 71% of the patients still experienced neurological symptoms at 3 months and the most common symptoms being fatigue (42%) and PTSD (25%). Cognitive symptoms were found in 12%. Our preliminary findings suggests the importance of investigating long-term outcomes and rationalizes the need for further studies investigating the neurologic outcomes and symptoms of pain after COVID-19.

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