Isfahan COVID cohort study: Rationale, methodology, and initial results

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The Isfahan COVID Cohort (ICC) study investigates the short- and long-term health consequences of COVID-19 in Iran.
• This prospective cohort study includes hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients with varying COVID-19 severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the rationale, methodology, and initial findings of the ICC study.
• To examine persistent symptoms and incident noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in COVID-19 survivors.

Main Methods:

• A 5-year multicentric prospective cohort study involving 5000 hospitalized and 800 non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
• Analysis of persistent symptoms and incident NCDs in 819 hospitalized patients at 1-year follow-up.

Main Results:

• Joint pain/myalgia (19.7%) and dry cough/dyspnea (18.7%) were the most frequent persistent symptoms.
• Approximately 60% of patients reported at least one symptom, with higher prevalence in women and middle-aged individuals.
• Incident hypertension, diabetes, and coronary heart disease (CHD) were the most common new NCDs.

Conclusions:

• About 60% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients experience persistent symptoms one year post-discharge.
• Hypertension, diabetes, and CHD are significant incident noncommunicable diseases following COVID-19 hospitalization.
• Integrated healthcare approaches are crucial for managing long-term health issues in COVID-19 survivors.