Assessment of Post-COVID-19 Manifestations in covid 19 recovered Patients in Dedicated Covid Hospital in Metropolitan City: Cohort Study

Introduction: This study aimed to assess and characterize post-COVID-19 manifestations in recovered patients. A mixed retrospective and prospective cohort study was conducted over 18 months at a dedicated COVID-19 hospital, involving 300 adult patients who had recovered from COVID-19. Objectives: Primary Objectives: a) To study the manifestations (Health status) of covid-19 infection. b) To study the manifestations of post covid-19 infection. Secondary Objectives: a) To study the manifestation of post Covid-19 infection with comorbidity b) To study the exacerbation of co-morbidity in covid 19. C)  To study the demographic profile of Covid-19 infected patient. Methods: The study included adults ≥18 years who had recovered from COVID-19. A sample size of 300 was recruited using convenient sampling. Data was collected via questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The mean age of participants was 51.71 ± 14.22 years, with 68% males. Post-COVID-19 manifestations were observed in 92.3% of participants. The most common symptoms were fatigue (59%), muscle pain (52.3%), cough (19.3%), respiratory distress (17.7%), and joint pain (13.7%). Neuropsychiatric sequelae included headache (4.3%) and sleep disturbance (3%). Cardiovascular symptoms like chest pain and palpitations were reported by 2.3% of participants. An increase in hypertension (21%) and diabetes (17.33%) prevalence was observed post-recovery. Significant associations were found between post-COVID-19 syndrome and gender, socioeconomic status, and comorbidities. Cough during acute infection was statistically associated with developing post-COVID-19 syndrome. Conclusion & Recommendations: Patient care should continue even after recovery from COVID-19 infection. Strengthening of post- COVID-19 clinics and sensitization of healthcare staff are needed for proper identification and management of post-COVID manifestations. Long-term monitoring of recovered patients is recommended for evaluation and treatment of persistent or new symptoms. Recommendations include - 1) Early implementation of integrated rehabilitation services through both in-person and remote delivery models; 2) Establishment of multidisciplinary teams including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, psychologists, speech therapists, physicians, and social workers 3) Condition-specific interventions including energy conservation techniques, pain management, cognitive rehabilitation, and psychological support, with careful consideration of post-exertional symptom exacerbation (PESE) before implementing exercise-based interventions. Keywords: COVID-19, post-COVID syndrome, long COVID, persistent symptoms.