Persistent Symptoms Post-COVID-19: An Observational Study at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background As the prevalence of COVID-19 recovery cases increased, patients started to notice new symptoms after being cured of the acute infection. We aimed to study the type of persistent symptoms post-COVID-19 infection, their prevalence, and factors that play a role in developing the post-COVID-19 symptoms among COVID-19 patients at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from the period of September 2021 to December 2021. Participants were contacted via a phone interview. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, and p-values of ≤0.05 were considered significant. Results A total of 327 participants completed the study, of which 169 (51.7%) were male. Nearly half of the patients, 161 (49.09%), had persistent symptoms. The most common symptoms were loss of smell, loss of taste, cough, and fatigue (22.6%, 19.2%, 11.6%, and 9.1% respectively). They were followed by an equal percentage of shortness of breath, headache, and hair loss (7.3%). Gender was found to be significant in loss of smell, loss of taste, and hair loss, with p-values of 0.016, 0.018, and <0.001, respectively. Conclusion A large proportion of patients with COVID-19 developed persistent symptoms. The most common symptoms were loss of smell and taste, cough, and fatigue. Some factors played a role in acquiring post-COVID-19 symptoms, including gender and place of treatment. Gender was significantly associated with hair loss. Follow-up after recovery is required to maintain individual well-being.