Clinical characteristics, symptom duration in COVID-19 outpatients

Editor's Note

This retrospective study from Cooper University Health Care, Camden, New Jersey, finds that the median symptom duration for many COVID-19 outpatients is longer than recommended isolation periods.

Of 294 patients analyzed, 178 had documented symptom resolution. The median symptom duration was 15 days.

Factors linked to prolonged symptom duration were presence versus lack of lower respiratory symptoms (16.5 vs 14.5 days) and neurologic symptoms (17 vs 9.5 days) at disease onset. Specific symptoms found to be associated with prolonged duration were cough, shortness of breath, dyspnea on exertion, myalgia, and ansomia.

The researchers concluded that the median symptom duration was 15 days, which suggests that COVID-19 outpatients may remain symptomatic longer than their isolation periods. In addition, they found that more than 25% had symptoms lasting longer than 3 weeks, and one had symptoms longer than 4 weeks with symptom resolution after 93 days.