Post-COVID Syndrome: From the Perspective of Physiatrists

INTRODUCTION: The presence of various symptoms with a duration that exceeds the acute phase of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is called post-COVID syndrome (PCS). This study aimed to evaluate the patients with PCS who applied to outpatient clinics of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR).
METHODS: This study included 70 patients who developed PCS after COVID-19 infection and 45 patients who recovered completely from the infection without ongoing symptoms related to the disease as a control group. The patients’ demographic and clinical features were recorded. The signs in the acute phase of COVID-19 infection, the treatment content, location, duration, and persistent symptoms were recorded. The patients’ kinesiophobia, anxiety-depression levels, and quality of life were evaluated.
RESULTS: The study population consisted of 78 (67.8%) women and 37 (32.2%) men, with an average age of 48.88±12.89. The frequency of females was significantly higher in the PCS group than in the control group (p=0.024). The most common complaints reported by PCS patients were fatigue (64.3%), weakness (44.3%), myalgia (35.7%), and back pain (31.4%). PCS was significantly higher in patients hospitalized during the acute infection, those with COVID-19 pneumonia, and those with chronic diseases, especially hypertension. The kinesiophobia scores of patients in the PCS group were considerably higher than those of patients in the control group (p<0.001).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: PCS appears to be related to the female gender and the severity of the acute disease. In this study, the most frequently reported persistent symptom by patients with PCS was fatigue, and back pain was the most common reason for admission to the PMR outpatient clinics.