Treatment, Persistent Symptoms, and Depression in People Infected with COVID-19 in Bangladesh
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Md Saiful Islam1,2, Most Zannatul Ferdous1, Ummay Soumayia Islam1
1Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh.
Insights
In Bangladesh, 24% of COVID-19 patients self-medicated, 20% experienced long COVID-19 symptoms, and 48% had moderate to severe depression. These findings highlight the need for integrated physical and mental health interventions for COVID-19 survivors.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Infectious Diseases
- Mental Health
Background:
- Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has had a global impact, yet specific data on treatment, persistent symptoms (long COVID-19), and mental health changes like depression in Bangladesh remain limited.
- Understanding these aspects is crucial for developing targeted public health strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the initial treatment modalities, prevalence of persistent COVID-19 symptoms, and the extent of depressive symptoms among individuals infected with COVID-19 in Bangladesh.
- To identify factors associated with depression in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey involving 1002 COVID-19 survivors in Bangladesh.
- Data collected via self-reported online questionnaires on demographics, lifestyle, COVID-19 symptoms, medication use, and depression (using Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)).
Main Results:
- Twenty-four percent of participants engaged in self-medication for COVID-19, with higher rates among females.
- Twenty percent reported persistent COVID-19 symptoms, most commonly diarrhea and fatigue.
- Forty-eight percent of participants exhibited moderate to severe depression, significantly associated with lower income, poor health status, sleep disturbances, lack of physical activity, pre-existing conditions, fear of re-infection, and persistent symptoms.
Conclusions:
- The study underscores a significant burden of self-medication, long COVID-19 symptoms, and depression among COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh.
- Findings indicate a strong link between physical health, socioeconomic factors, and mental well-being in the post-COVID-19 recovery phase.
- There is an urgent need for comprehensive interventions addressing both the physical and psychological needs of COVID-19 patients to improve overall health outcomes.
Abstract:
Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected people's lives globally. While important research has been conducted, much remains to be known. In Bangladesh, initial treatment (self-administered, hospitalized), persistent COVID-19 symptoms ("long COVID-19"), and whether COVID-19 leads to changes in mental state, such as depressive symptoms, of people are not known. This study aimed to examine treatment, persistent symptoms, and depression in people who had been infected with COVID-19 in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1002 individuals infected with COVID-19 (60% male; mean age = 34.7 ± 13.9; age range = 18-81 years), with data taken over a one-month period (11 September 2020 to 13 October 2020). A self-reported online questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographics, lifestyle, COVID-19 symptoms (during and beyond COVID-19), medication (over-the-counter or doctor-prescribed), and depression (assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)). Results: Twenty-four percent of participants self-medicated with over-the-counter medicine when they were first diagnosed with COVID-19. Self-medication was higher among female vs. male respondents (29.6% vs. 20.2%, respectively, p = 0.002). A minority (20%) reported that they experienced persistent COVID-like symptoms after recovering from COVID-19. The most reported persistent symptoms were diarrhea (12.7%) and fatigue (11.5%). Forty-eight percent of participants were categorized as having moderate to severe depression. Based on multivariate regression analysis, depression during COVID-19 was positively associated with lower family income, poor health status, sleep disturbance, lack of physical activity, hypertension, asthma/respiratory problems, fear of COVID-19 re-infection, and persistent COVID-19 symptoms. Conclusions: The findings suggest a need for appropriate interventions for COVID-19 patients to promote physical and mental wellbeing.
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