Post COVID-19 Syndrome- A Long Hauling Journey Ahead

Background: COVID -19 pandemic is the most important public health problem of recent time. Tens and thousands of people have suffered with COVID-19 in last one and half year. Most people who have suffered with COVID-19 recover completely within a few weeks but majority of patients continue to have varied symptoms after initial recovery. Objective: To assess the prevalence of Post COVID symptoms, to assess requirement of treatment and to make recommendation for Post COVID syndrome care. Methods: Present cross-sectional study was done among patients who recovered from COVID-19 in GIMS Hospital of Kalaburagi district. Mobile numbers of COVID patients were collected from records. Total 100 randomly selected patients were contacted and information regarding post COVID symptoms in between 6 weeks to 12 weeks after recovery from COVID-19 was collected. Result: 87%patients developed one or more post COVID symptoms. Weakness was reported to be most common problem (55%), followed by body ache (26%) and neuropsychiatric symptoms such as difficulty in concentration and insomnia (22%). Every fifth patient reported that symptoms persisted for more than 1 month. Though most of the respondents classified their symptoms as mild and moderate (52.5% and 37.9% respectively), 47% of the symptomatic patients have to take some treatment for these symptoms. Conclusion: Post COVID symptoms are common but usually less severe. Many of patients required conservative management with medications. Many patients required lot of counselling. Almost one in five patients reported that symptoms persisted for more than one month. The results highlight the need for post COVID care for COVID recovered patients.