TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence and Predictors of Persistence of COVID-19 Symptoms in Older Adults
T2 - A Single-Center Study
AU - Gemelli Against COVID-19 Post-Acute Care Team
AU - Tosato, Matteo
AU - Carfì, Angelo
AU - Martis, Ilaria
AU - Pais, Cristina
AU - Ciciarello, Francesca
AU - Rota, Elisabetta
AU - Tritto, Marcello
AU - Salerno, Andrea
AU - Zazzara, Maria Beatrice
AU - Martone, Anna Maria
AU - Paglionico, Annamaria
AU - Petricca, Luca
AU - Brandi, Vincenzo
AU - Capalbo, Gennaro
AU - Picca, Anna
AU - Calvani, Riccardo
AU - Marzetti, Emanuele
AU - Landi, Francesco
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was partly funded by Fondazione Memmo, Danone Nutricia Italia, ASSICA, Istituto Valorizzazione Salumi Italiani, the nonprofit research foundation ?Achille e Linda Lorenzon?, and by an intramural grant from the Universit? Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (D1.2020).
Funding Information:
This work was partly funded by Fondazione Memmo , Danone Nutricia Italia , ASSICA , Istituto Valorizzazione Salumi Italiani , the nonprofit research foundation “Achille e Linda Lorenzon”, and by an intramural grant from the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore ( D1.2020 ).
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine
PY - 2021/9
Y1 - 2021/9
N2 - Objectives: Symptom persistence weeks after laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) clearance is a relatively common long-term complication of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about this phenomenon in older adults. The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of persistent symptoms among older COVID-19 survivors and identifying symptom patterns. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting and Participants: We analyzed data collected in people 65 years and older (n = 165) who were hospitalized for COVID-19 and then admitted to the Day Hospital Post-COVID 19 of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS (Rome, Italy) between April and December 2020. All patients tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 and met the World Health Organization criteria for quarantine discontinuation. Measures: Patients were offered multidisciplinary individualized assessments. The persistence of symptoms was evaluated on admission using a standardized questionnaire. Results: The mean age was 73.1 ± 6.2 years (median 72, interquartile range 27), and 63 (38.4%) were women. The average time elapsed from hospital discharge was 76.8 ± 20.3 days (range 25−109 days). On admission, 137 (83%) patients reported at least 1 persistent symptom. Of these, more than one-third reported 1 or 2 symptoms and 46.3% had 3 or more symptoms. The rate of symptom persistence was not significantly different when patients were stratified according to median age. Compared with those with no persistent symptoms, patients with symptom persistence reported a greater number of symptoms during acute COVID-19 (5.3 ± 3.0 vs 3.3 ± 2.0; P < .001). The most common persistent symptoms were fatigue (53.1%), dyspnea (51.5%), joint pain (22.2%), and cough (16.7%). The likelihood of symptom persistence was higher in those who had experienced fatigue during acute COVID-19. Conclusions and Implications: Persistent symptoms are frequently experienced by older adults who have been hospitalized for COVID-19. Follow-up programs should be implemented to monitor and care for long-term COVID-19–related health issues.
AB - Objectives: Symptom persistence weeks after laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) clearance is a relatively common long-term complication of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Little is known about this phenomenon in older adults. The present study aimed at determining the prevalence of persistent symptoms among older COVID-19 survivors and identifying symptom patterns. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting and Participants: We analyzed data collected in people 65 years and older (n = 165) who were hospitalized for COVID-19 and then admitted to the Day Hospital Post-COVID 19 of the Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “Agostino Gemelli” IRCCS (Rome, Italy) between April and December 2020. All patients tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 and met the World Health Organization criteria for quarantine discontinuation. Measures: Patients were offered multidisciplinary individualized assessments. The persistence of symptoms was evaluated on admission using a standardized questionnaire. Results: The mean age was 73.1 ± 6.2 years (median 72, interquartile range 27), and 63 (38.4%) were women. The average time elapsed from hospital discharge was 76.8 ± 20.3 days (range 25−109 days). On admission, 137 (83%) patients reported at least 1 persistent symptom. Of these, more than one-third reported 1 or 2 symptoms and 46.3% had 3 or more symptoms. The rate of symptom persistence was not significantly different when patients were stratified according to median age. Compared with those with no persistent symptoms, patients with symptom persistence reported a greater number of symptoms during acute COVID-19 (5.3 ± 3.0 vs 3.3 ± 2.0; P < .001). The most common persistent symptoms were fatigue (53.1%), dyspnea (51.5%), joint pain (22.2%), and cough (16.7%). The likelihood of symptom persistence was higher in those who had experienced fatigue during acute COVID-19. Conclusions and Implications: Persistent symptoms are frequently experienced by older adults who have been hospitalized for COVID-19. Follow-up programs should be implemented to monitor and care for long-term COVID-19–related health issues.
KW - aging
KW - COVID-19
KW - fatigue
KW - geriatrics
KW - long COVID
KW - SARS-CoV-2
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.07.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jamda.2021.07.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 34352201
AN - SCOPUS:85112112429
VL - 22
SP - 1840
EP - 1844
JO - Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
JF - Journal of the American Medical Directors Association
SN - 1525-8610
IS - 9
ER -