Tag: covid hospitalization

Long-Term Impairment of Working Ability in Subjects under 60 Years of Age Hospitalised for COVID-19 at 2 Years of Follow-Up: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract:

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can lead to persistent and debilitating symptoms referred to as Post-Acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) This broad symptomatology lasts for months after the acute infection and impacts physical and mental health and everyday functioning. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of long-term impairment of working ability in non-elderly people hospitalised for COVID-19.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 322 subjects hospitalised for COVID-19 from 1 March 2020 to 31 December 2022 in the University Hospital of Bari, Apulia, Italy, enrolled at the time of their hospital discharge and followed-up at a median of 731 days since hospitalization (IQR 466-884). Subjects reporting comparable working ability and those reporting impaired working ability were compared using the Mann-Whitney test (continuous data) and Fisher’s test or Chi-Square test (categorical data). Multivariable analysis of impaired working ability was performed using a logistic regression model.

Results: Among the 322 subjects who were interviewed, 184 reported comparable working ability (57.1%) and 134 reported impaired working ability (41.6%) compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Multivariable analysis identified age at hospital admission (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.04), female sex (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.18 to 3.08), diabetes (OR 3.73, 95% CI 1.57 to 9.65), receiving oxygen during hospital stay (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.01 to 3.06), and severe disease (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.01) as independent predictors of long-term impaired working ability after being hospitalised for COVID-19.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PASC promotes conditions that could result in decreased working ability and unemployment. These results highlight the significant impact of this syndrome on public health and the global economy, and the need to develop clinical pathways and guidelines for long-term care with specific focus on working impairment.

Source: Frallonardo L, Ritacco AI, Amendolara A, Cassano D, Manco Cesari G, Lugli A, Cormio M, De Filippis M, Romita G, Guido G, Piccolomo L, Giliberti V, Cavallin F, Segala FV, Di Gennaro F, Saracino A. Long-Term Impairment of Working Ability in Subjects under 60 Years of Age Hospitalised for COVID-19 at 2 Years of Follow-Up: A Cross-Sectional Study. Viruses. 2024 Apr 26;16(5):688. doi: 10.3390/v16050688. PMID: 38793570; PMCID: PMC11125725. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11125725/ (Full text)

Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample

Abstract:

Background: Cognitive symptoms after coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), are well-recognized. Whether objectively measurable cognitive deficits exist and how long they persist are unclear.

Methods: We invited 800,000 adults in a study in England to complete an online assessment of cognitive function. We estimated a global cognitive score across eight tasks. We hypothesized that participants with persistent symptoms (lasting ≥12 weeks) after infection onset would have objectively measurable global cognitive deficits and that impairments in executive functioning and memory would be observed in such participants, especially in those who reported recent poor memory or difficulty thinking or concentrating (“brain fog”).

Results: Of the 141,583 participants who started the online cognitive assessment, 112,964 completed it. In a multiple regression analysis, participants who had recovered from Covid-19 in whom symptoms had resolved in less than 4 weeks or at least 12 weeks had similar small deficits in global cognition as compared with those in the no-Covid-19 group, who had not been infected with SARS-CoV-2 or had unconfirmed infection (-0.23 SD [95% confidence interval {CI}, -0.33 to -0.13] and -0.24 SD [95% CI, -0.36 to -0.12], respectively); larger deficits as compared with the no-Covid-19 group were seen in participants with unresolved persistent symptoms (-0.42 SD; 95% CI, -0.53 to -0.31). Larger deficits were seen in participants who had SARS-CoV-2 infection during periods in which the original virus or the B.1.1.7 variant was predominant than in those infected with later variants (e.g., -0.17 SD for the B.1.1.7 variant vs. the B.1.1.529 variant; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.13) and in participants who had been hospitalized than in those who had not been hospitalized (e.g., intensive care unit admission, -0.35 SD; 95% CI, -0.49 to -0.20). Results of the analyses were similar to those of propensity-score-matching analyses. In a comparison of the group that had unresolved persistent symptoms with the no-Covid-19 group, memory, reasoning, and executive function tasks were associated with the largest deficits (-0.33 to -0.20 SD); these tasks correlated weakly with recent symptoms, including poor memory and brain fog. No adverse events were reported.

Conclusions: Participants with resolved persistent symptoms after Covid-19 had objectively measured cognitive function similar to that in participants with shorter-duration symptoms, although short-duration Covid-19 was still associated with small cognitive deficits after recovery. Longer-term persistence of cognitive deficits and any clinical implications remain uncertain. (Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and others.).

Source: Hampshire A, Azor A, Atchison C, Trender W, Hellyer PJ, Giunchiglia V, Husain M, Cooke GS, Cooper E, Lound A, Donnelly CA, Chadeau-Hyam M, Ward H, Elliott P. Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample. N Engl J Med. 2024 Feb 29;390(9):806-818. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2311330. PMID: 38416429. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2311330 (Full text)

Cognitive and Mental Health Trajectories of COVID-19: Role of Hospitalisation and Long-COVID Symptoms

Abstract:

Background: There is considerable evidence of cognitive impairment post COVID-19, especially in individuals with long-COVID symptoms, but limited research objectively evaluating whether such impairment attenuates or resolves over time, especially in young and middle-aged adults.

Methods: Follow-up assessments (T2) of cognitive function (processing speed, attention, working memory, executive function, memory) and mental health were conducted in 138 adults (18-69 years) who had been assessed six months earlier (T1). Of these, 88 had a confirmed history of COVID-19 at T1 assessment (≥20 days post-diagnosis) and were also followed-up on COVID-19 related symptoms (acute and long-COVID); 50 adults had no known COVID-19 history at any point up to their T2 assessment.

Results: From T1 to T2, a trend-level improvement occurred in intra-individual variability in processing speed in the COVID, relative to the non-COVID group. However, longer response/task completion times persisted in participants with COVID-19 related hospitalisation relative to those without COVID-19 related hospitalisation and non-COVID controls. There was a significant reduction in long-COVID symptom load, which correlated with improved executive function in non-hospitalised COVID-19 participants. The COVID group continued to self-report poorer mental health, irrespective of hospitalisation history, relative to non-COVID group.

Conclusions: Although some cognitive improvement has occurred over a six-month period in young and middle-aged COVID-19 survivors, cognitive impairment persists in those with a history of COVID-19 related hospitalisation and/or long-COVID symptoms. Continuous follow-up assessments are required to determine whether cognitive function improves or possibly worsens, over time in hospitalised and long-COVID participants.

Source: Vakani K, Ratto M, Sandford-James A, Antonova E, Kumari V. Cognitive and Mental Health Trajectories of COVID-19: Role of Hospitalisation and Long-COVID Symptoms. Eur Psychiatry. 2024 Feb 5:1-40. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.7. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38312039. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377977040_Cognitive_and_Mental_Health_Trajectories_of_COVID-19_Role_of_Hospitalisation_and_Long-COVID_Symptoms (Full text)

Early immune factors associated with the development of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized and non-hospitalized individuals

Abstract:

Background: Infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can lead to post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) that can persist for weeks to years following initial viral infection. Clinical manifestations of PASC are heterogeneous and often involve multiple organs. While many hypotheses have been made on the mechanisms of PASC and its associated symptoms, the acute biological drivers of PASC are still unknown.

Methods: We enrolled 494 patients with COVID-19 at their initial presentation to a hospital or clinic and followed them longitudinally to determine their development of PASC. From 341 patients, we conducted multi-omic profiling on peripheral blood samples collected shortly after study enrollment to investigate early immune signatures associated with the development of PASC.

Results: During the first week of COVID-19, we observed a large number of differences in the immune profile of individuals who were hospitalized for COVID-19 compared to those individuals with COVID-19 who were not hospitalized. Differences between individuals who did or did not later develop PASC were, in comparison, more limited, but included significant differences in autoantibodies and in epigenetic and transcriptional signatures in double-negative 1 B cells, in particular.

Conclusions: We found that early immune indicators of incident PASC were nuanced, with significant molecular signals manifesting predominantly in double-negative B cells, compared with the robust differences associated with hospitalization during acute COVID-19. The emerging acute differences in B cell phenotypes, especially in double-negative 1 B cells, in PASC patients highlight a potentially important role of these cells in the development of PASC.

Source: Leung JM, Wu MJ, Kheradpour P, Chen C, Drake KA, Tong G, Ridaura VK, Zisser HC, Conrad WA, Hudson N, Allen J, Welberry C, Parsy-Kowalska C, Macdonald I, Tapson VF, Moy JN, deFilippi CR, Rosas IO, Basit M, Krishnan JA, Parthasarathy S, Prabhakar BS, Salvatore M, Kim CC. Early immune factors associated with the development of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized and non-hospitalized individuals. Front Immunol. 2024 Jan 22;15:1348041. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1348041. PMID: 38318183; PMCID: PMC10838987. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10838987/ (Full text)

Health-related quality of life in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in the UK: a cross-sectional study from pre- to post-infection

Abstract:

Background: The aim of this study was to estimate the impact of mild-to-moderate COVID-19 on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over time among individuals in the United Kingdom, adding to the evidence base that had focussed on severe COVID-19.

Methods: A bespoke online survey was administered to individuals who self-reported a positive COVID-19 test. An amended version of a validated generic HRQoL instrument (EQ-5D-5L) was used to measure HRQoL retrospectively at different timepoints over the course of an infection: pre-COVID-19, acute COVID-19, and long COVID. In addition, HRQoL post-COVID-19 was captured by the original EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. A mixed-effects model was used to estimate changes in HRQoL over time, adjusted for a range of variables correlated with HRQoL.

Results: The study recruited 406 participants: (i) 300 adults and 53 adolescents with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who had not been hospitalised for COVID-19 during acute COVID-19, and (ii) 53 adults who had been hospitalised for COVID-19 in the acute phase and who had been recruited for validation purposes. Data were collected between January and April 2022. Among participants included in the base-case analysis, EQ-5D-5L utility scores were lower during both acute COVID-19 (β=-0.080, p = 0.001) and long COVID (β=-0.072, p < 0.001) compared to pre COVID-19. In addition, EQ-5D-5L utility scores post-COVID-19 were found to be similar to the EQ-5D-5L utility scores before COVID-19, including for patients who had been hospitalised for COVID-19 during the acute phase or for those who had experienced long COVID. Moreover, being hospitalised in the acute phase was associated with additional utility decrements during both acute COVID-19 (β=-0.147, p = 0.026) and long (β=-0.186, p < 0.001) COVID.

Conclusion: Patients perceived their HRQoL to have varied significantly over the course of a mild-to-moderate COVID-19 infection. However, HRQoL was found to return to pre-COVID-19 levels, even for patients who had been hospitalised for COVID-19 during the acute phase or for those who had experienced long COVID.

Source: Soare IA, Ansari W, Nguyen JL, Mendes D, Ahmed W, Atkinson J, Scott A, Atwell JE, Longworth L, Becker F. Health-related quality of life in mild-to-moderate COVID-19 in the UK: a cross-sectional study from pre- to post-infection. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2024 Jan 30;22(1):12. doi: 10.1186/s12955-024-02230-5. PMID: 38287294; PMCID: PMC10826014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10826014/ (Full text)

Post-COVID cognitive deficits at one year are global and associated with elevated brain injury markers and grey matter volume reduction: national prospective study

Abstract:

The spectrum, pathophysiology, and recovery trajectory of persistent post-COVID-19 cognitive deficits are unknown, limiting our ability to develop prevention and treatment strategies. We report the one-year cognitive, serum biomarker, and neuroimaging findings from a prospective, national longitudinal study of cognition in 351 COVID-19 patients who had required hospitalisation, compared to 2,927 normative matched controls.

Cognitive deficits were global and associated with elevated brain injury markers and reduced anterior cingulate cortex volume one year after admission. The severity of the initial infective insult, post-acute psychiatric symptoms, and a history of encephalopathy were associated with greatest deficits. There was strong concordance between subjective and objective cognitive deficits. Treatment with corticosteroids during the acute phase appeared protective against cognitive deficits. Together, these findings support the hypothesis that brain injury in moderate to severe COVID-19 is immune-mediated, and should guide the development of therapeutic strategies.

Source: Benedict Michael, Greta Wood, Brendan Sargent et al. Post-COVID cognitive deficits at one year are global and associated with elevated brain injury markers and grey matter volume reduction: national prospective study, 05 January 2024, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3818580/v1] https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3818580/v1 (Full text)

Gut Microbiome Composition and Dynamics in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients and Patients with Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome

Abstract:

The gut microbiome plays a pivotal role in the modulation of host responses during viral infections, and recent studies have underscored its significance in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We aimed to investigate the dynamics and compositional changes in the gut microbiome of COVID-19 patients, addressing both the acute phase and the recovery process, with a particular focus on the emergence of post-COVID-19 conditions.
Involving 146 COVID-19 patients and 110 healthy controls, this study employed a shotgun metagenomics approach for cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses with one- and three-month follow-ups. We observed a decline in taxonomic diversity among hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls, while a subsequent increase in alpha diversity was shown during the recovery process.
A notable contribution of Enterococcus faecium was identified in the acute phase of the infection, accompanied by an increasing abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria (e.g., Roseburia, Lachnospiraceae_unclassified) during the recovery period. We highlighted a protective role of the Prevotella genus in the long-term recovery process and suggested a potential significance of population-specificity in the early gut microbiome markers of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.
Our study represents distinctive gut microbiome signatures in COVID-19, with potential diagnostic and prognostic implications, pinpointing potential modulators of the disease progression.
Source: Brīvība M, Silamiķele L, Birzniece L, Ansone L, Megnis K, Silamiķelis I, Pelcmane L, Borisova D, Rozenberga M, Jagare L, et al. Gut Microbiome Composition and Dynamics in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients and Patients with Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2024; 25(1):567. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010567 https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/1/567 (Full text)

Analysis of post-COVID symptoms and predisposing factors for chronic post-COVID syndrome

Abstract:

Introduction: While there is sufficient information about acute COVID-19, which can cause a multisystemic and fatal disease, post-COVID syndrome and risk factors for this condition remain poorly known. We aimed to identify postCOVID symptoms and risk factors for chronic post-COVID syndrome through this study.

Materials and methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 254 out of 384 COVID-19 patients admitted to our COVID-19 polyclinic between February and April 2021. The patients were questioned with a list of 37 symptoms at the fifth and twelfth weeks after disease onset via phone review, and their acute post-COVID (APC) and chronic post-COVID (CPC) symptoms were recorded. Data on risk factors were collected from the hospital’s medical records system. Associations between symptom count in the CPC phase and age, sex, hospitalization, RT-PCR result, specific radiological findings, comorbidities, and long-term medications were evaluated.

Result: Two hundred twenty-one patients had APC symptoms, and 138 patients had CPC symptoms. While the most common symptom was fatigue at week five, it was hair loss at week 12. Symptoms were observed significantly less in the CPC phase than in the APC phase (Z= -12.301, p= 0.00). Female sex and the presence of specific radiological findings were significantly associated with the occurrence of CPC symptoms (p= 0.03, p= 0.00, respectively). Long-term use of angiotensin-2 receptor blockers (ARBs) was correlated with a low symptom count in the CPC phase (p= 0.00).

Conclusions: Female sex and the presence of specific radiological findings were risk factors for developing CPC. Long-term use of ARBs was associated with a low chronic post-COVID symptom burden. A substantial cluster of multisystemic symptoms was observed in both phases, and this condition highlights the requirement for customized outpatient management that includes long-term follow-up and treatment of COVID-19 patients. Identifying the high-risk patients that will develop persistent symptoms can guide this management.

Source: Abalı H, Demir D, Gül Ş, Şimşek Veske N, Tural Onur S. Analysis of post-COVID symptoms and predisposing factors for chronic post-COVID syndrome. Tuberk Toraks. 2023 Dec;71(4):378-389. English. doi: 10.5578/tt.20239606. PMID: 38152008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38152008/ (Full text available as PDF file)

Low handgrip strength is associated with worse functional outcomes in long-Covid

Abstract:

The diagnosis of long-Covid is troublesome, even when functional limitations are present. Dynapenia is a decrease in muscle strength and power production and may explain in part these limitations. This study aimed to identify the distribution and possible association of dynapenia with functional assessment in patients with long-Covid.

A total of 113 inpatients with COVID-19 were evaluated by functional assessment 120 days post-acute severe disease. Body composition, respiratory muscle strength, spirometry, six-minute walk test (6MWT) and hand-grip strength (HGS) were assessed.

Dynapenia was defined as HGS < 30kg/f (men), and < 20kg/f (women). Twenty-five (22%) participants were dynapenic, presenting lower muscle mass (p < 0.001), worse forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) (p = 0.0001), lower forced vital capacity (p < 0.001), and inspiratory (p = 0.007) and expiratory (p = 0.002) peek pressures, as well as worse 6MWT performance (p < 0.001). Dynapenia was associated with worse FEV1, MEP, and 6MWT, independent of age (p < 0.001).

Patients with dynapenia had higher ICU admission rates (p = 0.01) and need for invasive mechanical ventilation (p = 0.007) during hospitalization. The HGS is a simple, reliable, and low-cost measurement that can be performed in outpatient clinics in low- and middle-income countries. Thus, HGS may be used as a proxy indicator of functional impairment in this population.

Source: Camila Miriam Suemi Sato Barros do Amaral AMARAL, Cássia da Luz Goulart GOULART, Bernardo Maia da Silva SILVA et al. Low handgrip strength is associated with worse functional outcomes in long-Covid, 11 December 2023, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3695556/v1] https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3695556/v1 (Full text)

Large scale phenotyping of long COVID inflammation reveals mechanistic subtypes of disease after COVID-19 hospitalisation

Abstract:

One in ten SARS-CoV-2 infections result in prolonged symptoms termed long COVID, yet disease phenotypes and mechanisms are poorly understood. We studied the blood proteome of 719 previously hospitalised adults with long COVID grouped by symptoms. Elevated markers of myeloid inflammation and complement activation were associated with long COVID; elevated IL1R2, MATN2 and COLEC12 were associated with cardiorespiratory symptoms, fatigue, and anxiety/depression, while MATN2 and DPP10 were elevated in gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, and C1QA in cognitive impairment.
Proteins suggestive of neurodegeneration were elevated in cognitive impairment, whilst SCG3 (indicative of brain-gut axis disturbance) was specific to GI symptoms. Nasal inflammation was apparent after COVID-19 but did not associate with symptoms. Although SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG was elevated with some long COVID symptoms, virus was not detected from sputum. Thus, systemic inflammation is evident in long COVID and could be targeted in therapeutic trials tailored to pathophysiological differences between symptom groups.

Source: Peter Openshaw, Felicity Liew, Claudia Efstathiou et al. Large scale phenotyping of long COVID inflammation reveals mechanistic subtypes of disease after COVID-19 hospitalisation, 04 December 2023, PREPRINT (Version 1) available at Research Square [https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3427282/v1] https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-3427282/v1 (Full text)