Abstract

The epidemiology and organ-specific sequelae following acute illness due to COVID-19 and prompting patients to seek COVID recovery care are not yet well characterized. This cross-sectional study reviewed data on 200 adult patients with prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 (>14 days after symptom onset) not resolved by usual primary care or specialist care who were referred for COVID-specific follow-up. Most patients sought COVID recovery clinic visits within the first 2 months of initial onset of symptoms (median 37 days), with some seeking care for sequelae persisting up to 10 months (median 82 days). At the time of telehealth evaluation, 13% of patients were using home oxygen, and 10% of patients had been unable to return to work due to persistent fatigue and/or subjective cognitive dysfunction (“brain fog”). The prominent specific symptom sequelae prompting patients to seek COVID-specific evaluation beyond usual primary care and specialist referrals were dyspnea, fatigue/weakness, and subjective cognitive dysfunction, irrespective of whether patients had required hospitalization or of time since COVID-19 symptom onset.

Faculty credentials/disclosure 

Dr. Danesh is a research investigator at Baylor Scott & White Research Institute and a faculty affiliate at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Arroliga is the chief medical officer of Baylor Scott & White Health and a clinical professor of medicine at Texas A&M University. Dr. Bourgeois is the chair of psychiatry at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center at Temple and a clinical professor of medicine at Texas A&M University College of Medicine. Dr. Widmer, Dr. Michael McNeal, and Dr. Tresa McNeal are internal medicine physicians at Baylor Scott & White Health in Temple and clinical faculty members at Texas A&M University College of Medicine. None of the planners/authors for this educational activity have relevant financial relationship(s) to disclose with ineligible companies whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

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Expiration date

Credit eligibility for this article is set to expire on November 1, 2023.