Post-Covid-19 syndrome may up risk of fatigue, mood disorders

Patients diagnosed with post-COVID-19 syndrome, also known as ‘PCS’, ‘COVID-19 long-haul syndrome’ and ‘Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS COV-2’, experience symptoms such as mood disorders, fatigue, and perceived cognitive impairment that can negatively affect returning to work and resuming normal activities.

The findings of the study were published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The study reported on the first 100 patients to participate in Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 Activity Rehabilitation program (CARP), one of the first multidisciplinary programs established to evaluate and treat patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome. The patients were evaluated and treated between June 1 and Dec. 31, 2020. They had a mean age of 45, and 68 per cent were female. They were evaluated a mean of 93 days after infection.

The most common symptom of patients seeking evaluation for post-COVID-19 syndrome was fatigue. Of the patients in the study, 80 per cent reported unusual fatigue, while 59 per cent had respiratory complaints and a similar percentage had neurologic complaints. More than one-third of patients reported difficulties performing basic activities of daily living, and only 1 in 3 patients had returned to unrestricted work activity.

“Most patients in the study had no pre-existing comorbidities prior to COVID-19 infection, and many did not experience symptoms related to COVID-19 that were severe enough to require hospitalisation,” said Greg Vanichkachorn, M.D., medical director of Mayo Clinic’s COVID-19 Activity Rehabilitation program and first author of the study.

Dr Vanichkachorn added, “Most of the patients had normal or nondiagnostic lab and imaging results, despite having debilitating symptoms. That’s among the challenges of diagnosing PCS in a timely way and then responding effectively.” Nonetheless, the symptoms often resulted in significant negative effects as patients tried to return to normal daily activities, including work.