Musculoskeletal Symptoms and Post-COVID Functional Status among COVID-19 Survivors: A Single-Center Prospective...

There is an increased incidence of patients coming to a hospital in the post-COVID-19 clinic for symptoms related to the musculoskeletal (MSK) system. The aim of our study is to know the MSK symptoms and post-COVID functional status in COVID-19 patients at 1-year postrecovery and identify any factors associated with the increased incidence and severity of the MSK symptoms.

A single-center prospective observational study was undertaken among 1954 in-patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from March 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. Informed verbal consent was taken from the patients; they were followed up, and data were collected telephonically using a questionnaire and analyzed.

Among 1954 patients, 1087 had MSK symptoms, the most common being fatigue (50.71%), followed by myalgia, backache, and joint pain. Symptomatic COVID-19 patients had significantly higher incidence of MSK symptoms. The post-COVID-19 functional limitation was more in the MSK group (88.78%) as compared to the non-MSK group (55.02%). The presence of symptoms during COVID-19 had 3.37 times higher risk for developing joint pain. Patients with ≥2 comorbidities had 2.27 times higher risk to develop joint pain.

The majority of patients reported to have achieved their previous physical status after COVID-19 within a 1 month. Fatigue (50.71%) was noted to be the most common MSK symptom among COVD-19 survivors. The functional limitation was more after symptomatic COVID-19. Risk of having long-term joint pain was elevated if the patient had COVID-19 symptoms and ≥2 comorbidities. To evaluate MSK symptoms over a longer period of time and determine whether they result in hospital visits, more research is needed.