SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city.
<h4>Background</h4>Patients with COVID-19 are follow-up in primary care and long COVID is scarcely defined. The study aim was to describe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and cut-offs for defining long COVID in primary care follow-up patients.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective observational...
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2021-01-01
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| author | Sara Ares-Blanco Marta Pérez Álvarez Ileana Gefaell Larrondo Cristina Muñoz Vanesa Aguilar Ruiz Marta Castelo Jurado Marina Guisado-Clavero |
| author_facet | Sara Ares-Blanco Marta Pérez Álvarez Ileana Gefaell Larrondo Cristina Muñoz Vanesa Aguilar Ruiz Marta Castelo Jurado Marina Guisado-Clavero |
| author_sort | Sara Ares-Blanco |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>Patients with COVID-19 are follow-up in primary care and long COVID is scarcely defined. The study aim was to describe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and cut-offs for defining long COVID in primary care follow-up patients.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective observational study in primary care in Madrid, Spain, was conducted. Data was collected during 6 months (April to September) in 2020, during COVID-19 first wave, from patients ≥ 18 years with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia diagnosed. Variables: sociodemographic, comorbidities, COVID-19 symptoms and complications, laboratory test and chest X-ray. Descriptive statistics were used, mean (standard deviation (SD)) and medians (interquartile range (IQR)) respectively. Differences were detected applying X2 test, Student's T-test, ANOVA, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis depending on variable characteristics.<h4>Results</h4>155 patients presented pneumonia in day 7.8 from the onset (79.4% were hospitalized, median length of 7.0 days (IQR: 3.0, 13.0)). After discharge, the follow-up lasted 54.0 median days (IQR 42.0, 88.0) and 12.2 mean (SD 6.4) phone calls were registered per patient. The main symptoms and their duration were: cough (41.9%, 12 days), dyspnoea (31.0%, 15 days), asthenia (26.5%, 21 days). Different cut-off points were applied for long COVID and week 4 was considered the best milestone (28.3% of the sample still had symptoms after week 4) versus week 12 (8.3%). Patients who still had symptoms >4 weeks follow-up took place over 81.0 days (IQR: 50.5, 103.0), their symptoms were more prevalent and lasted longer than those ≤ 4 weeks: cough (63.6% 30 days), dyspnoea (54.6%, 46 days), and asthenia (56.8%, 29 days). Embolism was more frequent in patients who still had symptoms >4 weeks than those with symptoms ≤4 weeks (9.1% vs 1.8%, p value 0.034).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Most patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia recovered during the first 4 weeks from the beginning of the infection. The cut-off point to define long COVID, as persisting symptoms, should be between 4 to 12 weeks from the onset of the symptoms. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-caf69af0653f4730966f8c003b417e102025-01-18T05:31:05ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01169e025760410.1371/journal.pone.0257604SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city.Sara Ares-BlancoMarta Pérez ÁlvarezIleana Gefaell LarrondoCristina MuñozVanesa Aguilar RuizMarta Castelo JuradoMarina Guisado-Clavero<h4>Background</h4>Patients with COVID-19 are follow-up in primary care and long COVID is scarcely defined. The study aim was to describe SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and cut-offs for defining long COVID in primary care follow-up patients.<h4>Methods</h4>A retrospective observational study in primary care in Madrid, Spain, was conducted. Data was collected during 6 months (April to September) in 2020, during COVID-19 first wave, from patients ≥ 18 years with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia diagnosed. Variables: sociodemographic, comorbidities, COVID-19 symptoms and complications, laboratory test and chest X-ray. Descriptive statistics were used, mean (standard deviation (SD)) and medians (interquartile range (IQR)) respectively. Differences were detected applying X2 test, Student's T-test, ANOVA, Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis depending on variable characteristics.<h4>Results</h4>155 patients presented pneumonia in day 7.8 from the onset (79.4% were hospitalized, median length of 7.0 days (IQR: 3.0, 13.0)). After discharge, the follow-up lasted 54.0 median days (IQR 42.0, 88.0) and 12.2 mean (SD 6.4) phone calls were registered per patient. The main symptoms and their duration were: cough (41.9%, 12 days), dyspnoea (31.0%, 15 days), asthenia (26.5%, 21 days). Different cut-off points were applied for long COVID and week 4 was considered the best milestone (28.3% of the sample still had symptoms after week 4) versus week 12 (8.3%). Patients who still had symptoms >4 weeks follow-up took place over 81.0 days (IQR: 50.5, 103.0), their symptoms were more prevalent and lasted longer than those ≤ 4 weeks: cough (63.6% 30 days), dyspnoea (54.6%, 46 days), and asthenia (56.8%, 29 days). Embolism was more frequent in patients who still had symptoms >4 weeks than those with symptoms ≤4 weeks (9.1% vs 1.8%, p value 0.034).<h4>Conclusion</h4>Most patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia recovered during the first 4 weeks from the beginning of the infection. The cut-off point to define long COVID, as persisting symptoms, should be between 4 to 12 weeks from the onset of the symptoms.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0257604&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Sara Ares-Blanco Marta Pérez Álvarez Ileana Gefaell Larrondo Cristina Muñoz Vanesa Aguilar Ruiz Marta Castelo Jurado Marina Guisado-Clavero SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city. PLoS ONE |
| title | SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city. |
| title_full | SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city. |
| title_fullStr | SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city. |
| title_full_unstemmed | SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city. |
| title_short | SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia follow-up and long COVID in primary care: A retrospective observational study in Madrid city. |
| title_sort | sars cov 2 pneumonia follow up and long covid in primary care a retrospective observational study in madrid city |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0257604&type=printable |
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