Living With Persistent Respiratory Symptoms of Long COVID: Qualitative Study Among Brazilian Adults 12 Months After Acute Infection

Introduction

The majority of those infected with COVID-19 undergo a brief duration of clinical illness. In certain instances, symptoms endure for months or years after the initial viral exposure—a condition characterized as Long COVID (LC). The experience of this illness remains largely unexplored as it has only recently surfaced. This study aims to understand the repercussions of persistent respiratory post-COVID symptoms in Brazilian adults 12 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods

A constructivist grounded theory study was employed. Data were collected through individual interviews with adults with persistent respiratory symptoms of Long COVID in Brazil. Data collection took place between September 2023 and February 2024. Data analysis was performed on a constant comparative basis and concurrent with data collection to understand the findings.

Results

Twenty-four individuals (12 females, 12 males) with a median age of 43.29 ± 9.09 years participated. The data analysis generated a central category—living with the long-term effects of COVID-19: breathlessness pervades everything—around which three categories emerged: (1) imbalance between life before and after being infected by COVID-19; (2) living with acute post-COVID respiratory symptoms; and (3) struggling with persistent post-COVID respiratory symptoms.

Conclusion

Our analysis of the perceived needs of individuals with Long COVID underscores the urgent necessity for legislative reform to acknowledge LC as a disability that requires clear diagnostic criteria. Approaches to treatment and rehabilitation are required to evaluate the extent to which functioning and disability improve. Lastly, this study highlights the complex problems encountered by individuals with Long COVID, including employment uncertainties, everyday tasks and social relationships.