Características sociodemográficas, clínicas, epidemiológicas, funcionales y de calidad de vida de pacientes con COVID-19 y COVID persistente

Abstract

Se ha descrito una nueva afección con efectos a largo plazo, el COVID persistente, que incluye una amplia variedad de problemas crónicos de salud con una duración indeterminada. Sin embargo, aún falta evidencia científica de su influencia sobre la población general y sanitaria. Además, en términos de funcionalidad, el COVID persistente está teniendo un impacto importante en la capacidad de las personas para la realización de sus actividades diarias y mantener un estilo de vida activo, experimentando limitaciones físicas que están repercutiendo sobre su calidad de vida. Esta investigación busca identificar las características sociodemográficas, clínicas, epidemiológicas, el estado funcional y la calidad de vida de la población contagiada por COVID19 y la población con COVID persistente. Para ello se ha contado con un total de 2.349 participantes de toda España. Como resultado de los análisis se ha encontrado que la hospitalización, el ingreso en UCI y los antecedentes de neumonía son factores predictores positivos de algunos síntomas de COVID persistente. Además ha demostrado un peor estado funcional, menor nivel de actividad física, mayor severidad de fatiga y peor calidad de vida en pacientes con COVID persistente. Esta tesis proporciona información útil acerca de las características sociodemográficas, clínicas, epidemiológicas, del estado funcional, nivel de actividad física, fatiga y calidad de vida de pacientes con COVID-19 y COVID persistente tanto en población general como en el personal sanitario de AP.

Four scientific articles make up the present doctoral thesis, titled “Sociodemographic, clinical, epidemiological, functional, and quality of life characteristics of patients with COVID-19 and persistent COVID", which follows the modality of compilation of publications. Derived from the acute illness caused by COVID-19, a new condition with long-term effects, known as persistent COVID, has been described. This condition includes a wide variety of chronic health problems of indeterminate duration that affect all bodily organs and systems. However, although new data on clinical and epidemiological characteristics have been incorporated, the majority of these have been on hospitalized cohorts, so there is still a lack of scientific evidence addressing how these may influence the onset of different symptoms in the general population. It should be added that healthcare professionals have been one of the groups most affected by this health condition, and it is necessary to further analyze their clinical and epidemiological profile in-depth. Additionally, in terms of functionality, persistent COVID is having a significant impact on people's ability to carry out their daily activities and maintain an active lifestyle, experiencing physical limitations that are affecting their quality of life. With the aim of identifying the sociodemographic, clinical, epidemiological characteristics, functional status, and quality of life of the population infected with COVID-19 and the population with persistent COVID, two cross-sectional studies were carried out. One focused on the analysis of the clinical and epidemiological profile of the general population and primary care health personnel, as well as the factors that predict persistent COVID. The other study examined the functional status, level of physical activity, fatigue, and quality of life in patients with COVID-19 compared to those with persistent COVID.