Background: Although research has been mainly focused on effective treatment for SARS-COV-2 infection, psychosocial aspects of the infection it is vital to be taken into consideration. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the psychosomatic effects and the fear of stigma which patients may face after the end of treatment and discharge from hospital.
Subjects and methods: This was a non-intervention perspective study conducted in the Department of Infectious Diseases of University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (Greece). Patients on the discharge day completed questionnaires in which 5 topics were evaluated: pain/discomfort, anxiety/distress, fear/worries, stigma and tolerance of treatment. The questionnaires were derived from similar Quality of Life Tools. The total score of each patient was normalized as percentage.
Results: Females and younger than 40 years old had more worries and fears on discharge day. Significant factors were days of hospitalization, days of fever and need of oxygen therapy. Patients who hospitalized more than 10 days, particularly in isolation negative pressure rooms, with persistent fever more than 7 days and need of oxygen therapy had more anxiety, worries for their clinical condition and fear of stigma. The majority of patients (80%) were expecting to face moderate to severe problems with family members, friends and colleagues underlying the dimensions of stigma.
Conclusions: It is crucial to evaluate the psychosocial aspects of this infection and limit the stigma which patients may face returning to their daily routine. Further studies are needed with larger patient series and with the usage of psychometric instruments.