Descripción de los 201 síntomas de la afectación multiorgánica producida en los pacientes afectados por la COVID-19 persistente

Abstract

Introduction. Ignorance continues to surround Persistent COVID or Long COVID (LC). This project aims to clarify the clinical profile of the patient affected by persistent symptoms and to define this clinical condition in a comprehensive way within the clinical history of those affected. Material and methods. An online, voluntary, self-completed, anonymised survey was carried out between 13 July and 14 October 2020. Questions regarding age, sex, residence, diagnostic tests and follow-up, time of symptom persistence and specification of symptoms persisting over time were included. Results. Of the 2,120 patients, 1,834 met LC criteria, 1,448 were female (79 %), mean age 43.3 years, mean symptom persistence of 185.8 days and only 48 % of the total sample had diagnostic CRP, with no statistically significant or clinically relevant differences according to CRP in terms of symptoms persisting for a mean of 185.8 days. There were 201 distinct symptoms with 95.9 % general, 86.5 % neurological, 86.2% psychological/emotional, 82.8 % musculoskeletal, 79.3% respiratory, and 70.8% digestive. An average of 6 symptomatic areas were affected. The most frequent symptoms were: 95.9 % asthenia, 86.5 % headache, 86.2 % low mood, 82.8 % myalgias, 79.3 % dyspnoea, 70.8 % diarrhoea, and 69.9 % palpitations. Fifty percent cited up to 58 symptoms with a mean of 36 symptoms. Discussion. LC involvement has been largely underestimated. Patients experience multisystemic symptoms that have a significant impact on their lives, demonstrating the high health impact of this disease in which symptoms are prolonged with no known cause and no specific treatments aimed at cure.