Seven Domains of Persisting Problems after Hospital-treated Covid-19 Indicate a Need For a Multiprofessional...

To identify domains of persisting problems at 4 months after discharge in patients previously hospitalized due to COVID-19, with a focus on a subgroup of patients reporting symptoms to an extent indicative of rehabilitation needs.

Ambidirectional observational cohort study.

All patients with a laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis admitted to hospital in a Swedish healthcare region during the period 1 March to 31 May 2020. After exclusion, 94% of all survivors (n = 433) participated in the study. Forty-three percent (n = 185) of these reported persisting problems indicating rehabilitation needs and formed a subgroup.

Explorative factor analysis based on results from comprehensive telephone interviews covering persisting symptoms, including assessment of impact on daily life.

Seven domains were identified, comprising problems related to vision, cognition, mental fatigue, swallowing, voice, sensorimotor dysfunction, and feeling anxious/depressed. The patients in the subgroup reported a median of 8 symptoms/limitations affecting everyday life, and two-thirds reported symptoms/limitations in 3 or more domains.

Seven problem domains corresponding to specific modalities of rehabilitative interventions were identified. A majority of patients reported problems from several domains, indicating the need for multiprofessional teams in post-COVID-19 rehabilitation. Screening of patients previously hospitalized due to COVID-19 should cover all 7 domains of persisting problems.