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. 2021 Sep;10(3):1579-1590.
doi: 10.1007/s40121-021-00461-3. Epub 2021 Jun 21.

Long-Term Patient-Centred Follow-up in a Prospective Cohort of Patients with COVID-19

Elda Righi #  1 , Massimo Mirandola  2 , Fulvia Mazzaferri #  2 , Elisa Razzaboni  2 , Amina Zaffagnini  2 , Anna Erbogasto  2 , Ilaria Dalla Vecchia  2 , Nina Auerbach  2 , Federico Ivaldi  2 , Maria Mongardi  2 , Pietro Minuz  3 , Michele Milella  4 , Sara Mehrabi  5 , Oliviero Olivieri  6 , Domenico Girelli  7 , Enrico Polati  8 , Claudio Micheletto  9 , Evelina Tacconelli  2
Affiliations

Long-Term Patient-Centred Follow-up in a Prospective Cohort of Patients with COVID-19

Elda Righi et al. Infect Dis Ther. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

Introduction: To better define COVID-19 long-term impact we prospectively analysed patient-centred outcomes, including general health and symptom duration.

Methods: Barthel index (BI), St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire adapted to patients with COVID-19 (aSGRQ) and WHO Clinical Progression Scale (CPS) were measured at enrolment and at 6 weeks from the onset of symptoms. Persistence of most frequently reported symptoms was assessed at 6 weeks and, among symptomatic patients, at 12 weeks from the onset of symptoms. Predictors of impaired general health over time were identified using an ordinal multilevel multivariate model.

Results: A total of 448 patients (55% men, median age 56 years) were enrolled. WHO-CPS showed mild, moderate and severe disease in 48%, 42% and 10% of patients at admission and mild disease in all patients at follow-up, respectively. BI and aSGRQ were normal in 96% and 93% patients before COVID-19 but only in 47% and 16% at COVID-19 diagnosis and in 87% and 65% at 6-week follow-up. Male gender was identified by all three assessments as a predictor of impaired general health (BI, OR 2.14, p < 0.0001; aSGRQ, OR 0.53, p = 0.003; WHO-CPS, OR 1.56, p = 0.01). Other predictors included age, ICU admission and comorbidities (e.g. cardiovascular disease and cancer) for BI, hospital admission for aSGRQ, age and presence of comorbidities for WHO-CPS. At 6- and 12-week follow-up, 39% and 20% of patients, respectively, were still reporting symptoms. Fatigue and breathlessness were the most frequently reported symptoms.

Conclusions: Long-term follow-up facilitates the monitoring of health impairment and symptom persistence and can contribute to plan tailored interventions.

Keywords: Barthel index; COVID-19; Long-term follow-up; Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire; Symptoms persistence.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
General health perception, Barthel index and adapted Saint George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (aSGRQ) before COVID-19 (T0), at diagnosis (TD) and at 6-week follow-up (T1)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Kaplan–Maier curves with 95% confidence interval reporting duration of symptoms among patients with COVID-19
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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