Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Descriptive Clinical Study

The investigators aimed to describe the clinical experience of a single center reporting on neuropsychiatric findings among patients experiencing persistent symptoms as part of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) infection.

Data were collected retrospectively (between February 2020 and May 2021) from a cohort (N=100) within a COVID-19 survivors study of patients with persistent symptoms enrolled after a short inpatient stay or who had been outpatients never hospitalized. Patients without confirmatory positive PCR or antibody diagnostic test results were grouped separately as presumptive cases (N=13).

Of the 87 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2, 63 (72.4%) were female, and 65 (74.7%) were White. The mean age was 49.2 years (SD=14.9). The most prevalent symptoms after COVID-19 infection were fatigue, "brain fog," headache, anxiety, and sleep issues. Attention and executive function were frequently impaired. The mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment score was 26.0 (SD=2.8). Concentration and attention as well as memory issues were both significantly correlated with the complaint of brain fog.

These preliminary findings suggest that post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 vary in frequency and duration with relation to premorbid history and that these conditions affect functional domains and patients' ability to return to work. Longitudinal research with larger cohorts is needed to characterize PASC and to optimize care, especially for vulnerable populations.