Objective: Dependent on clinical setting, geography and timing during the pandemic, variable symptoms of COVID-19 have been reported. Our aim was to describe self-reported symptom intensity and contact with primary health care among nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Design: Web-based survey.
Setting: Norway between March 2020 and July 2021.
Subjects: Adults in home isolation.
Main outcome measures: Participants reported possible COVID-19 symptoms, duration of symptoms, score of symptom severity (Likert scale 0-3), risk factors, comorbidity, and questions regarding follow-up and information from primary health care.
Results: Of 477 participants, 379 (79%) had PCR-confirmed COVID-19, 324 (68%) were females, and 90% were younger than 60 years. Most common symptoms were "fatigue and/or muscle ache" (80%), nasal symptoms (79%), and headache (73%). The mean severity of symptoms was generally low. Symptoms with the highest mean scores were "fatigue and/or muscle ache" (1.51, SD 1.02) and headache (1.27 (SD 1.00). Mean scores for severity ranged from 0.28 (nausea) to 1.51 (fatigue and/or muscle ache). Women reported higher symptom scores than men. For "affected sense of smell and/or taste", patients either reported a high symptom score (24%) or no affliction at all (49%). A third of the participants (32%) were followed-up by primary care health personnel, and almost 40% had sought or received information about COVID-19 from general practitioners.
Conclusion: The mean severity of symptoms among nonhospitalized adult COVID-19 patients was generally low. We found large variations in the occurrence and severity of symptoms between patients.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; primary health care; signs and symptoms; surveys and questionnaires.
Dependent on clinical setting, geography and timing during the pandemic, variable symptoms, and follow-up of COVID-19 have been reported.The most common symptoms were fatigue and/or muscle ache, nasal symptoms, and headache, and the overall mean symptom score was low.The symptom where most patients were severely afflicted was a reduced sense of smell and/or taste.Patients with a higher symptom severity were more likely to receive information about COVID-19 from their GP.