Post-COVID-19 Syndrome as Described by Patients: A Qualitative Study

Background/Objectives: Growing interest in post-viral conditions following COVID-19 infection has led researchers and clinicians to develop several definitions of post-COVID-19 syndrome. This study aimed to understand the meaning given to post-COVID-19 syndrome by individuals who survived the first wave of the pandemic two years after its onset. Methods: A descriptive qualitative study was performed according to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines. An inductive and content analysis were adopted on narratives collected via the interview of patients who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2 during the first pandemic wave in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (Italy). Results: This study included 230 patients, of whom 158 experienced post-COVID-19 syndrome, and 46 (29.1%) reported suffering from this condition 24 months after the infection. On average, patients experienced three symptoms, with most of them experiencing at least one. Seventy-five patients reported being familiar with the definition of the post-COVID-19 syndrome, mainly through media and the internet (28.9% and 28.2%, respectively). The post-COVID-19 syndrome was described as characterized by two themes: (a) the experience of interrelated physical and psychological symptoms and (b) the experience of fighting like warriors for a long time. Conclusions: The post-COVID-19 syndrome is highly prevalent but poorly understood. Patients rely on low-quality information rather than that offered by clinicians. The post-COVID-19 syndrome appears to be a complex syndrome encompassing physical and mental symptoms, as well as those disabling the person with an unclear trajectory. There is a need to focus on the long-term consequences of COVID-19, incorporating insights from individuals' lived experiences.