Symptom Profile Related to Functional Disability and Health-Related Quality of Life in Post-COVID-19 Condition

In her poster presentation, Dr. Elsa Biteus showed the results of a study that aimed to assess prevalence, severity and correlations between symptoms, functional disability and health related quality of life in people living with post-COVID condition (PCC), in comparison to the health-related quality of life norm in the Swedish population. The study had a cross-sectional design, including 379 adult participants with PCC. Most patients were women and none were hospitalised, with a median age of 49 years and a median PCC duration of 30 months. Post-exertional malaise (PEM) as a symptom was nearly universally present, and the most prevalent severe symptoms in the cohort were fatigue, cognitive difficulties, and breathlessness upon exertion. These symptoms were correlated with each other and with functional disability and health related quality of life. Physical limitations associated with PCC were found to be profound when compared with the population norms. In conclusion, PCC was identified as having specific core symptoms that are strongly associated with both severe functional disability and markedly reduced quality of life. These findings may help prioritise treatment, rehabilitation strategies and more focused research efforts in PCC.