Saera Suhail Kidwai, Fatima Zahra, Mehrunnisa Umar, Ayaz Ahmed, Zahid Akhtar Rao, Rukhsana Abdul Sattar.
Prevalence of post-COVID syndrome in a cohort of faculty of a medical institute and their family members.
Anesth Pain Intens Care Jan ;26(2):154-60.

Background & Objective: Persistent or new appearance signs and symptoms in post-COVID patients is a well-recognized complication of the COVID-19 pandemic, the severity of which is still underestimated and, therefore, remains unaddressed. Multiple studies from all over the world have documented the prevalence of post-COVID symptoms; however, the frequency, the severity and the variety of post-COVID symptoms in our country has not been much investigated. We determined the prevalence of post-COVID syndrome in a cohort of faculty working in Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College (FRPMC), Karachi, Pakistan, and their family members. Methodology: This cross-sectional, descriptive single-center study was conducted in a medical institute, data was gathered with a questionnaire sent to the cohort of medical faculty and their families. Data was analyzed on SPSS 20 and ODDs Ratio calculated using different variables. Results: A total of 84 patients were enrolled which had suffered from COVID out of which 51 (60.7%) had post-COVID symptoms, with fatigability 40 (48%), muscle pain 16 (19%), inability to continue the normal chores 12(14%), dry cough 11 (13%), breathlessness 10(12%), sleep disturbance and brain fog or difficulty in concentration 11 (13%), and hair loss 9 (11%) being the common complaints. There was no positive or negative relationship between the severity of COVID infection and the presence of the post-COVID syndrome. Conclusion: The prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in COVID infected population is high, however, no identifiable risk factor is observed. A multidisciplinary team approach is much needed to cater for the needs of the vulnerable post-COVID population, more observational studies are needed to follow the sequel of this comparatively new virus which may still be unidentified.

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