Symptoms, functional impairment in HCWs after COVID-19 infection

Editor's Note

In this Swedish study, a considerable portion of healthcare workers (HCWs) who had mild infections of COVID-19 reported long-term symptoms that disrupted work, social, and home life.

Of 2,149 HCWs enrolled in the study, 323 were seropositive for COVID-19. More than a fourth (26%) of seropositive HCWs reported at least one moderate to severe symptom lasting for at least 2 months, and 15% reported at least one moderate to severe symptom lasting for at least 8 months. The most common symptoms lasting for at least 2 months were anosmia (loss of sense of smell), fatigue, ageusia (loss of taste), and dyspnea.

Seropositive HCWs also reported that their long-term symptoms moderately to markedly disrupted their work lives (8%), social lives (15%), and home lives (12%).

The researchers concluded that further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying long-term sequalae of COVID-19 infection.