Health-related quality of life and long-term symptoms among patients with non-severe covid-19 – a prospective cohort study

Abstract

Background

The vast majority of covid-19 patients experience non-severe disease. Nonetheless, long-term symptoms may be common and the impact on quality of life is uncertain. This study aims to examine these aspects in a prospective, longitudinal cohort.

Methods

Non-hospitalised patients with PCR-confirmed covid-19 were prospectively invited to self-report assessments of background data, symptoms and recovery, illness perception (BIPQ) and health-related quality of life (HR-Qol) measured by EQ5D-VAS.

Results

154 patients were included (mean age 46 years, 69% female). The majority of participants (65%) had symptoms for 1–4 weeks and 12% more than 6 months. The most common symptoms were initially malaise, fatigue, headache, fever and cough and the most common long-term symptoms were impaired physical condition, fatigue, anosmia and headache. The BIPQ index had a negative correlation with the EQ5D-VAS score after the infection, but not with long-term symptoms. Mean differences in the EQ5D-VAS score were significantly lower after the infection and patients with long-term symptoms had a more pronounced negative effect in EQ5D-VAS scores.

Conclusion

We found that most patients with non-severe covid-19 reported symptoms for 1–4 weeks and approximately 10% developed long-term symptoms. Non-severe covid-19 seems to have a negative influence on HR-Qol, especially in patients with long-term symptoms and with a greater burden from the disease. None of the initial symptoms could predict the presence of long-term symptoms.

Keywords:

• Covid-19
• symptoms
• post-covid
• HR-Qol
• perception of illness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Region Halland Research council, the Foundation of Sparbanken Varberg and the Southern Medical Care Region, Sweden.