Evaluation of long-term symptoms and complications of COVID-19 in patients requiring hospitalization die to COVID-19 pneumonia

SARS-CoV-2 has caused a devastating pandemic with significant mortality and morbidity throughout the world. It had been shown that in both subacute and chronic period after severe infection, some symptoms from acute infection may remain and new complications may emerge. Our study aims to determine the risk factors for long term complications and symptoms of hospitalized medium to severe COVID-19 patients in Manisa Celal Bayar University Hafsa Sultan Hospital. Data of the patients who were hospitalized between 01.03.2020 ve 31.08.2022 were scanned. 5993 patients were included in the study. Demographic traits, comorbidities, laboratory data, treatment given during hospitalization, severiy of need for oxygen treatment, radiologic lung involvement, hospitalization duration and body mass indices of the patients have been recorded. These patients were questioned for their sypmtoms for six months after hospital discharge by telephone calls. Regression analyses were applied for most of these data to determine the odds ratio between patient traits and symptoms. All patients have given written consent. Study have been ethically approved by Manisa Celal Bayar University Ethics Commitee. Almost one fourth of the patients had at least one post COVID symptom. Most common post COVID symptom was fatigue. While type II diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, suffering from an interstitial lung disease, malignancy, COVID 19 lung involvement, high CRP during diagnosis period and smoking were found to be statistically significant risk factors for many post COVID symptoms; having a normal body mass index was found as a protective factor. More studies investigating long term post infectious symptoms of systemic viral infections can be helpful since the risk of a similar scale viral pandemic is present.