tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Infect Dis Ther
. 2021 Oct 23;1-19.
doi: 10.1007/s40121-021-00553-0. Online ahead of print.
Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers 1-Year Post-Discharge in Wuhan
Tingting Liao[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Daquan Meng[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lijuan Xiong[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 [/SUP], Shuting Wu[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lian Yang[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sufei Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mei Zhou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xinliang He[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiongjing Cao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Huangguo Xiong[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yunzhou Fan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jiahong Xia[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yu Hu[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Yang Jin[SUP] 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Introduction: To assess the long-term consequences of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among health care workers (HCWs) in China (hereafter surviving HCWs).
Methods: A total of 303 surviving HCWs were included. Lung (pulmonary function test, 6-min walk test [6MWT], chest CT), physical (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ], Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale [mMRC], and Borg scale), and psychiatric functions (Essen Trauma Inventory) were evaluated during the 1-year follow-up.
Results: Surviving HCWs had an abnormal diffusion capacity 1 year post-discharge. Participants with a reduced carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) comprised 43.48%. The proportion of HCWs with a median 6MWT distance below the lower limit of the normal was 19.4%. An abnormal CT pattern was observed in 37.5% of the HCWs. The SGRQ, mMRC, and Borg scores of surviving HCWs, especially those with critical/severe disease, were significantly higher than those in the normal population. Probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was reported in 21.9% of the surviving HCWs. Diffusion capacity impairment was associated with women. Critical/severe illness and nurses were associated with impaired physical function.
Conclusions: Most surviving HCWs, especially female HCWs, still had an abnormal diffusion capacity at 1 year. The physical and psychiatric functions of surviving HCWs were significantly worse than those of the healthy population. Long-term follow-up of pulmonary, physical, and psychiatric functions for surviving HCWs is required.
Keywords: COVID-19; Long-term; Lung function; Physical function; Psychiatric function; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2021 Oct 23;1-19.
doi: 10.1007/s40121-021-00553-0. Online ahead of print.
Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 on Health Care Workers 1-Year Post-Discharge in Wuhan
Tingting Liao[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Daquan Meng[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lijuan Xiong[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 [/SUP], Shuting Wu[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 3 [/SUP], Lian Yang[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sufei Wang[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mei Zhou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xinliang He[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiongjing Cao[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Huangguo Xiong[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yunzhou Fan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Jiahong Xia[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Yu Hu[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Yang Jin[SUP] 7 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34687442
- PMCID: PMC8536919
- DOI: 10.1007/s40121-021-00553-0
Abstract
Introduction: To assess the long-term consequences of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) among health care workers (HCWs) in China (hereafter surviving HCWs).
Methods: A total of 303 surviving HCWs were included. Lung (pulmonary function test, 6-min walk test [6MWT], chest CT), physical (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire [SGRQ], Modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale [mMRC], and Borg scale), and psychiatric functions (Essen Trauma Inventory) were evaluated during the 1-year follow-up.
Results: Surviving HCWs had an abnormal diffusion capacity 1 year post-discharge. Participants with a reduced carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) comprised 43.48%. The proportion of HCWs with a median 6MWT distance below the lower limit of the normal was 19.4%. An abnormal CT pattern was observed in 37.5% of the HCWs. The SGRQ, mMRC, and Borg scores of surviving HCWs, especially those with critical/severe disease, were significantly higher than those in the normal population. Probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was reported in 21.9% of the surviving HCWs. Diffusion capacity impairment was associated with women. Critical/severe illness and nurses were associated with impaired physical function.
Conclusions: Most surviving HCWs, especially female HCWs, still had an abnormal diffusion capacity at 1 year. The physical and psychiatric functions of surviving HCWs were significantly worse than those of the healthy population. Long-term follow-up of pulmonary, physical, and psychiatric functions for surviving HCWs is required.
Keywords: COVID-19; Long-term; Lung function; Physical function; Psychiatric function; SARS-CoV-2.