Disability and functional status among patients post Covid 19 - A tertiary care hospital based prospective study

Background

The long-term sequelae of COVID-19 infection, the persistence of disability, its temporal profile, and associated factors remain under-documented in South India.

Objectives

To estimate the proportion of disability in survivors of COVID-19 at different time points (first, second, and sixth months) and determine the demographic and clinical variables associated with poor functional status which will aid in developing effective treatment and rehabilitation strategies.

Methods

A total of 139 COVID-19 patients were interviewed at discharge from a tertiary care hospital and followed up in the first, second, and sixth months. Persistent symptoms and post-COVID functional status (PCFS) scores were recorded at all these time points. Univariate and Multivariate Poisson regression analysis was used to determine the association of socio-demographic variables and other clinical factors with functional status post-COVID-19.

Results

48.92 % of patients had complete recovery. However, a majority (51.08 %) experienced persistent functional limitation - 33.81 % had negligible, 15.83 % mild, 0.72 % moderate, and 0.72 % severe limitation. Common symptoms at six months were breathlessness (23.02 %), fatigue (20.14 %), memory loss (10.07 %), myalgia (8.63 %), and post-traumatic stress disorder (7.91 %). Vaccination emerged as a significant predictor of disability status (p < 0.05). Taking two vaccine doses lowered the risk of disability by 0.48 times.

Conclusion

At the six-month follow-up of discharged COVID-19 patients, they continue to exhibit persistent functional limitations and symptoms. Administration of two vaccine doses is recommended to improve functional status at six months. Multidisciplinary clinics, telemedicine, and community-based rehabilitation programs are essential to minimize post-COVID-19 functional disability and facilitate complete recovery.