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. 2020 Nov 23;15(11):e0242130.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242130. eCollection 2020.

Clinical characteristics and online mental health care of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with coronavirus disease 2019

Su Jin Jeong  1 , Won Suk Chung  2 , Yujin Sohn  1 , Jong Hoon Hyun  1 , Yae Jee Baek  1 , Yunsuk Cho  1 , Jung Ho Kim  1 , Jin Young Ahn  1 , Jun Yong Choi  1 , Joon-Sup Yeom  1
Affiliations

Clinical characteristics and online mental health care of asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with coronavirus disease 2019

Su Jin Jeong et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Comparing to data in patients with severe coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19), there are few studies on the prevalence anxiety and/or depression in patients with asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic COVID-19. We investigated the clinical characteristics and the prevalence of anxiety and/or depression among asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19 and monitored their mental health using an online assessment. An online survey for monitoring and assessing the mental health of patients with COVID-19 using a mobile phone was conducted. We used the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to measure anxiety and/or depression levels. Of the 234 patients, 66 patients were asymptomatic (28.2%), while the remaining 168 patients were mildly symptomatic. The prevalence of anosmia (p = 0.001) and ageusia (p = 0.008) significantly decreased with the increasing age. In addition, 19.8% and 14.0% patients had anxiety and/or depression in the first survey, and one week after the first survey, respectively. Compared to patients without anxiety and/or depression, those with anxiety and/or depression had a longer quarantine duration. We found that anomia and ageusia were relatively common in the young age group. Furthermore, one-fifth asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients with COVID-19 had anxiety and/or depression.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Distribution of age according to patients without or with symptoms.
A. Patients with anosmia (n = 47), B. Patients with ageusia (n = 37).
Fig 2
Fig 2. Quarantine time course of patients without negative conversion according to age (p = 0.014).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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