Symptom Experience and Perceived Health Status of People With Long COVID in Thailand

Bangern Pumipak; Sirinapha Jittimanee; Sirima Thananun; Kaewjai Mathong; Jomtien Poungdok; Manthana Sinsap; Thatsanee Sueathong; Oranong Kongruang; Sujitraporn Faungprachakorn; Thunyarut Thunyaphun; Poramate Insook; Kaewalee Soontornmon

doi:10.1177/23779608231206748

Symptom Experience and Perceived Health Status of People With Long COVID in Thailand

SAGE Open Nurs. 2023 Oct 16:9:23779608231206748. doi: 10.1177/23779608231206748. eCollection 2023 Jan-Dec.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Disease Control, Institute for Urban Disease Control and Prevention, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
² Faculty of Nursing, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
³ Faculty of Nursing, Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi.
⁴ Department of Disease Control, Rayong Occupational Health and Environmental Development Center (ROHED Center), Nonthaburi, Thailand.

Abstract

Introduction: Despite the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 no longer a public health emergency, reports of long COVID persist globally, raising concerns about its impact on individuals.

Objective: This retrospective study aimed to explore the symptom experiences of individuals with long COVID-19 and examine the relationship between those experiences and perceived negative health status in Thailand.

Methods: The study focused on individuals with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections. Between July 3, 2022 and December 1, 2022, we conducted telephone interviews with 86 individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and received outpatient care in Bangkok. The COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Screening was utilized to measure symptom occurrence, duration, severity, and health status on an 11-point numerical rating scale from 0 (none or excellent) to 10 (the worst). A Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the relationships between long COVID symptoms and negative perception of health status.

Results: Among the participants, 75.6% had long COVID, with a median of three symptoms lasting for a median duration of 5.6 months. Difficulties in performing daily activities were most common, reported by 50.8% of participants. The majority (80.0%) experienced itching, headache, cognition, muscle pain, continence, and sleeping problem for 6 months. Loss of taste was the most severe symptom, with a mean severity rating of 8.8. There were significant positive relations between a negative perception of health status and multiple symptoms, symptom severity, functional disability, and additional symptoms.

Conclusion: Individuals with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection who experienced long COVID had poorer perceived health status. To effectively manage and improve the health status of individuals with long COVID, nurses should provide follow-up care, assess not only the occurrence of symptoms but also their duration and severity, and evaluate performance outcomes.

Keywords: COVID-19; health status; impact; long COVID; symptom experience.