Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Publication Date
1-1-2024
Journal
Frontiers in Public Health
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Four years after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of long-term post-COVID-19 cognitive symptoms is a matter of concern given the impact it may have on the work and quality of life of affected people.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence of post-acute COVID-19 cognitive symptoms, as well as the associated risk factors.
METHODS: Retrospective cohort, including outpatients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 and who were assisted by a public telehealth service provided by the Telehealth Network of Minas Gerais (TNMG), during the acute phase of the disease, between December/2020 and March/2022. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, applied via phone calls, regarding the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms after 12 weeks of the disease. Cognitive symptoms were defined as any of the following: memory loss, problems concentrating, word finding difficulties, and difficulty thinking clearly.
RESULTS: From 630 patients who responded to the questionnaire, 23.7% presented cognitive symptoms at 12 weeks after infection. These patients had a higher median age (33 [IQR 25-46] vs. 30 [IQR 24-42] years-old,
CONCLUSION: In this retrospective cohort of patients with mostly mild COVID-19, cognitive symptoms were present in 23.7% of patients with COVID-19 at 12 weeks after infection. Female sex, fatigue, depression and the need to seek in-person care during acute COVID-19 were the risk factors independently associated with this condition.
Keywords
Humans, COVID-19, Female, Retrospective Studies, Male, Adult, Middle Aged, Telemedicine, Risk Factors, Surveys and Questionnaires, SARS-CoV-2, Brazil, Cognitive Dysfunction, Incidence, Young Adult, Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome, Quality of Life
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Bioinformatics Commons, Biomedical Informatics Commons, Clinical Epidemiology Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, COVID-19 Commons, Medical Sciences Commons, Oncology Commons, Telemedicine Commons
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Associated Data
PMID: 38689777