BACKGROUND: Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 or Long COVID (LC) affects millions globally, with persistent immune, neurological, and cardiovascular symptoms posing challenges to healthcare. This study analyses clinical, demographic, and lifestyle differences between LC and recovered (RC) individuals residing in Western India, extending observations up to four years post-infection.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in four urban setting tertiary-care hospitals of Western India. Individuals aged 19-70 with documented SARS-CoV-2 infection and persistent or fluctuating symptoms beyond four weeks, unexplained by other diagnoses were recruited in LC group. Recovered individuals with confirmed past infection, negative SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR at the time of enrolment, and no lingering symptoms were recruited in RC group. The demographic, socio-economic, and clinical data were collected.
RESULTS: Severe acute COVID-19 patients were more frequent in the LC group (n = 104) compared to the RC group (n = 83), though both LC and RC had similar proportions of mild/moderate acute COVID-19 patients. Fatigue was the most persistent symptom (79.80 %), followed by cough and anxiety. Respiratory, cardiovascular, neuro-psychiatric symptoms declined over time, while dermatological, ENT, gastrointestinal, and muscular symptoms fluctuated. LC patients predominantly had hypertension as comorbidity, lower SPO2, and higher pulse rates (p < 0.0001). Rates of hospitalization for COVID-19 treatment were similar, but mechanical ventilation use was exclusively observed in LC patients (10.6 %). Sedentary lifestyles were more frequent in LC (17.30 %) vs. RC (6.02 %, p = 0.0248).
CONCLUSION: Our study is one of the few in Indian population showing occurrence of multiple LC symptoms after 3-4 years of infection. We report severity of COVID-19, use of Remdesivir and mechanical ventilation to be associated with increased odds of LC. Fatigue, cough and anxiety were the most common symptoms reported by LC participants. Our findings establish a much-needed baseline for understanding symptom progression in LC patients, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions and long-term monitoring.
Long Covid