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Volume 28, Number 3—March 2022
Dispatch

Long-Term Symptoms among COVID-19 Survivors in Prospective Cohort Study, Brazil

Lívia P. Bonifácio, Viviane N.F. Csizmar, Francisco Barbosa-Júnior, Ana P.S. Pereira, Marcel Koenigkam-Santos, Danilo T. Wada, Gilberto G. Gaspar, Felipe S. Carvalho, Valdes R. Bollela, Rodrigo C. Santana, João P. Souza, and Fernando Bellissimo-RodriguesComments to Author 
Author affiliations: Ribeirão Preto Medical School Social Medicine Department, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil (L.P. Bonifácio, V.N.F. Csizmar, F. Barbosa-Júnior, A.P.S. Pereira, J.P. Souza, F. Bellissimo-Rodrigues); Ribeirão Preto Medical School Department of Medical Images, Hematology and Clinical Oncology, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil (M. Koenigkam-Santos, D.T. Wada); Ribeirão Preto Medical School Infectious and Tropical Diseases Division of Internal Medicine Department, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto (G.G. Gaspar, F.S. Carvalho, V.R. Bollela, R.C. Santana)

Main Article

Table 2

Comparison of long-term symptom occurrence among COVID-19 survivors according to disease severity, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil*

Long-term symptoms COVID-19 severity
Total, n = 175
Mild/moderate vs. severe

Mild/moderate vs. critical
Mild/moderate, n = 35 Severe, n = 80 OR (95% CI) p value† Mild/moderate, n = 35 Critical, n = 60 OR (95% CI) p value†
Mean time from onset of symptoms to inclusion, d (SD) 51 (+27) 48 (+23) 51 (+27) 72 (+26) 57 (+27)
Median
43
41



43
74.5


50
Need for readmission
0
1 (1.3)

1.000

0
1 (1.7)

1.000
2 (1.1)
Persistent symptoms
No 10 (28.6) 21 (26.3) 10 (28.6) 4 (6.7) 35 (20)
Yes
25 (71.4)
59 (73.8)
1.12 (0.46–2.73)
0.822

25 (71.4)
56 (93.3)
5.60
(1.60–19.58)
0.006‡
140 (80)
Respiratory symptoms n = 25 n = 59 25 n = 56 140
Dyspnea 9 (36) 22 (37) 1.06 (0.40–2.80) 1.000 9 (36) 15 (27) 0.65 (0.24–1.78) 0.437 46 (32)
Cough 4 (16) 20 (34) 2.69 (0.81–8.92) 0.118 4 (16) 16 (29) 2.10 (0.62–7.09) 0.275 40 (29)
Rhinorrhea
0
4 (7)

0.313

0
3 (5)

0.549
7 (5)
MRC Dyspnea Scale n = 9 n = 22 n = 9 n = 15 46
Level 1–2 6 (67) 14 (64) 0.88 (0.17–4.49) 1.000 6 (67) 6 (40) 0.33 (0.06–1.88) 0.615 26 (56)
Level 3–5
3 (33)
8 (36)
0.29 (0.06–1.47)


3 (33)
9 (60)
3.00 (0.53–16.9)
0.412
20 (44)
Cardiovascular symptoms n = 25 n = 59 n = 25 n = 56 140
Swelling 2 (8) 6 (67) 1.03 (0.16–6.62) 1.000 2 (8) 5 (9) 1.13 (0.20–6.25) 1.000 13 (9)
Hypertension 1 (4) 0 0.298 1 (4) 1 (2) 0.44 (0.03–7.27) 0.525 2 (1)
Hypotension
0
1 (2)

1.000

0
1 (2)

1.000
2 (1)
Neurologic symptoms n = 25 n = 59 n = 25 n = 56 140
Headache 10 (40) 16 (27) 0.56 (0.21–1.49) 0.304 10 (40) 10 (18) 0.33 (0.11–0.93) 0.050‡ 36 (26)
Altered skin sensitivity 1 (4) 4 (7) 1.75 (0.19–16.45) 1.000 1 (4) 21 (38) 14.4 (1.8–114.3) 0.001‡ 26 (19)
Hypogeusia 6 (24) 10 (17) 0.65 (0.21–2.03) 0.545 6 (24) 3 (5) 0.18 (0.04–0.79) 0.022‡ 19 (14)
Hyposmia 7 (28) 7 (12) 0.35 (0.11–1.12) 0.107 7 (28) 4 (7) 0.20 (0.05–0.76) 0.030‡ 18 (13)
Dysgeusia 3 (12) 3 (5) 0.39 (0.07–2.10) 0.356 3 (12) 7 (13) 1.05 (0.25–4.44) 1.000 13 (9)
Loss of recent memory (brain fog)
2 (8)
3 (5)
0.62 (0.10–3.93)
0.631

2 (8)
3 (5)
0.65 (0.10–4.16)
0.642
8 (6)
Gastrointestinal symptoms n = 25 n = 59 n = 25 n = 56 140
Diarrhea 0 2 (3) 1.000 0 4 (7) 0.306 6 (4)
Stomach pain
2 (8)
0

0.086

2 (8)
0

0.093
2 (1)
Other symptoms, n n = 25 n = 59 n = 25 n = 56 140
Fatigue 10 (40) 23 (39) 0.96 (0.37–2.49) 1.000 10 (40) 22 (39) 0.97 (0.37–2.54) 1.000 54 (39)
Muscle weakness 3 (12) 11 (19) 1.68 (0.43–6.63) 0.539 3 (12) 21 (38) 4.4 (1.17–16.5) 0.033‡ 35 (25)
Vision impairment 1 (4) 1 (2) 0.41 (0.03–6.89) 0.509 1 (4) 8 (14) 4 (0.47–33.86) 0.262 10 (7)
Loss of hair 2 (8) 3 (5) 0.62 (0.10–3.93) 0.631 2 (8) 4 (7) 0.89 (0.15–5.18) 1.000 9 (6)

*Values are no. (%) except as indicated. –, calculation could not be performed. †p values were calculated using Fisher exact test. ‡p<0.05.

Main Article

Page created: December 27, 2021
Page updated: February 21, 2022
Page reviewed: February 21, 2022
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