Persistent COVID linked to fatigue, mood disorders, cognitive impairment
Patients with persistent COVID-19 experience symptoms such as mood disorders, fatigue and cognitive impairment that can negatively affect return to work and resumption of normal activities, according to a Mayo Clinic (US) study published in the scientific journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
The study reports on the first 100 patients who participated in a rehabilitation programme to evaluate and treat patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. The patients were evaluated and treated between 1 June and 31 December 2020. They had a mean age of 45 years and 68% were women. They were evaluated a median of 93 days after infection.
The most common symptom of the patients who came for evaluation was fatigue. Of the patients in the study, 80% reported unusual fatigue, while 59% had respiratory complaints and a similar percentage had neurological complaints. More than a third of the patients reported difficulties in performing basic activities of daily living, and only 1 in 3 patients had returned to work without restrictions.
"Most patients in the study had no pre-existing comorbidities prior to COVID-19 infection, and many did not experience COVID-19-related symptoms severe enough to require hospitalisation. Most patients had normal or non-diagnostic laboratory and imaging results, despite having debilitating symptoms. This is one of the challenges of diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome early and responding effectively," explains study first author Dr Greg Vanichkachorn.
However, the symptoms often had significant negative effects when patients tried to return to their daily activities, including work. "Most of the patients we worked with required physiotherapy, occupational therapy or brain rehabilitation to treat their perceived cognitive impairment. While many patients had fatigue, more than half also reported problems with thinking, commonly known as 'brain fog'. And more than a third of patients had problems with basic life activities. Many were unable to resume normal working life for at least several months," argues Vanichkachorn.
