Bassem Asmaa, Hussein Amal, Sharawe Taha Mohamed Ahmed, El Sayed Salah Mohamed, Sadek Eman Mohamed, AlRasheed Hayam Ali, Bahaa Mostafa M, Kamal Marwa
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61519, Egypt.
Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia 61519, Egypt.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Mar 22;13(7):699. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13070699.
A significant number of COVID-19 survivors around the world have been reporting persistent symptoms following their recovery. Long COVID is recognized as a condition affecting not only the respiratory but also the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neurological, immune, and hematopoietic systems. This study aimed to describe persistent symptoms in COVID-19 survivors six months post-infection in Minia, Upper Egypt, and investigate associated risk factors. This observational cross-sectional study included 189 hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19. Demographic data, symptom severity, comorbidities, and persistent symptoms were collected. A logistic regression analysis was used to identify risk factors associated with long COVID, with statistical significance set at < 0.05. In total, 68.8% of participants were women, and 83.5% of patients reported at least one ongoing symptom. The most self-reported symptoms were fatigue (73.5%) and myalgia (45.5%), followed by dyspnea (43.3%). Age was associated with an increased risk of developing long COVID (OR 1.028, 95% CI 1.003-1.054, = 0.030). Patients who were hospitalized during the acute phase had more than twice the risks of having persistent symptoms (OR 2.384, 95% CI 1.055-5.387, = 0.037). A substantial proportion of COVID-19 survivors in Minia, Upper Egypt, continues to experience persistent symptoms, primarily constitutional and neurological manifestations. Many patients reported self-medicating with unprescribed antibiotics, highlighting a need for public awareness regarding viral infections and the risks associated with improper antibiotic use.
全球大量新冠病毒疾病（COVID-19）幸存者在康复后一直报告有持续症状。“长期新冠”被认为是一种不仅影响呼吸系统，还影响胃肠道、心血管、神经、免疫和造血系统的疾病。本研究旨在描述埃及上埃及米尼亚地区新冠病毒疾病幸存者在感染后六个月的持续症状，并调查相关风险因素。这项观察性横断面研究纳入了189名先前被诊断为感染新冠病毒疾病的住院和非住院患者。收集了人口统计学数据、症状严重程度、合并症和持续症状。采用逻辑回归分析来确定与“长期新冠”相关的风险因素，设定统计学显著性为<0.05。总体而言，68.8%的参与者为女性，83.5%的患者报告至少有一种持续症状。最常自我报告的症状是疲劳（73.5%）和肌痛（45.5%），其次是呼吸困难（43.3%）。年龄与患“长期新冠”的风险增加相关（比值比1.028，95%置信区间1.003 - 1.054，P = 0.030）。急性期住院的患者出现持续症状的风险是其他人的两倍多（比值比2.384，95%置信区间1.055 - 5.387，P = 0.037）。埃及上埃及米尼亚地区相当一部分新冠病毒疾病幸存者继续经历持续症状，主要是全身性和神经方面的表现。许多患者报告自行服用未开处方的抗生素，这凸显了提高公众对病毒感染以及不当使用抗生素相关风险认识的必要性。
