Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence-Based Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PLoS One. 2024 Apr 16;19(4):e0298376. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298376. eCollection 2024.
Post Acute COVID Syndrome (PACS), a complex and poorly understood condition characterised by persistent symptoms following the acute phase of COVID-19 infection, has emerged as a significant global health concern. Healthcare workers who had been at the forefront of the pandemic response are at heightened risk of contracting the virus and subsequently developing PACS. Therefore, we aim to determine the prevalence and risk factors for PACS among healthcare workers infected with COVID-19.
A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2022 and August 2023 using an online REDCap electronic data capture tool questionnaire. PACS was defined as new or persistent symptoms lasting more than 28 days after a positive SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction or rapid test kit antigen test. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine predictors associated with PACS.
Among 609 infected healthcare workers, they were predominantly female (71.8%), Malays (84.6%), and aged 18-39 years (70.1%). 50.7% of infected healthcare workers experienced PACS. The most common PACS symptoms experienced were fatigue (27.9%), cough (25.1%), decreased physical strength (20.5%), and musculoskeletal pain (19.2%). Those who are more likely to develop PACS were females, underlying asthma, and COVID-19 severity category 3. On the other hand, those who received booster vaccinations were less likely to develop PACS.
PACS is prevalent among healthcare workers with COVID-19 at the University Malaya Medical Centre. These findings emphasise the critical need for those with higher risk to receive regular health monitoring and checkups to detect any early signs of PACS. It underscores the need for continuous support and healthcare interventions to mitigate the impacts of PACS and ensure the physical and mental well-being of healthcare workers.
新冠病毒感染后急性阶段后持续存在的症状，即后新冠综合征（PACS），是一种复杂且尚未被充分了解的病症，已成为全球关注的重大健康问题。一直处于大流行应对前线的医护人员感染新冠病毒并随后出现 PACS 的风险较高。因此，我们旨在确定感染新冠病毒的医护人员中 PACS 的患病率和危险因素。
使用在线 REDCap 电子数据捕获工具问卷于 2022 年 10 月至 2023 年 8 月期间进行了一项横断面研究。PACS 被定义为 SARS-CoV-2 聚合酶链反应或快速检测试剂盒抗原检测呈阳性后 28 天以上出现的新症状或持续存在的症状。采用多变量逻辑回归确定与 PACS 相关的预测因素。
在 609 名感染医护人员中，他们主要为女性（71.8%）、马来人（84.6%），年龄在 18-39 岁（70.1%）。50.7%的感染医护人员出现 PACS。最常见的 PACS 症状是疲劳（27.9%）、咳嗽（25.1%）、体力下降（20.5%）和肌肉骨骼疼痛（19.2%）。更有可能出现 PACS 的是女性、患有哮喘和新冠病毒感染严重程度为 3 级。另一方面，接受加强疫苗接种的人不太可能出现 PACS。
在马来亚大学医学中心感染新冠病毒的医护人员中，PACS 较为普遍。这些发现强调了需要对高风险人群进行定期健康监测和检查，以发现任何 PACS 的早期迹象。这突显了需要持续支持和医疗干预措施，以减轻 PACS 的影响，确保医护人员的身心健康。
