Characteristics of symptoms among outpatients following the discontinuation of the dynamic zero-COVID-19 policy in China: insights from an online nationwide cross-sectional survey in 2022.

BACKGROUND

After the cessation of the dynamic zero-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) policy in China, a large number of people were infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) without being hospitalized, but few studies investigated the symptoms of this population. In this study, we aimed to describe the symptom characteristics of this population and to provide information for further understanding of COVID-19.

METHODS

An online nationwide anonymous survey questionnaire on symptoms was conducted through WeChat to probe participants infected with SARS-CoV-2 between December 2022 and January 2023. In order to guarantee the promptness of data collection while maximizing the coverage of diverse populations, we opted for the convenient sampling method. Demographic information, incidence and severity of main symptoms, and vaccination status were collected in the questionnaire. Descriptive analysis was utilized to elucidate the epidemiological characteristics of the overall population; comparative analysis was conducted to highlight the differences in symptom variations among distinct subgroups.

RESULTS

A total of 4,836 valid questionnaires were collected, with 64.8% testing positive for COVID-19 and 35.2% exhibiting symptoms but not having undergone testing. Among the COVID-19-positive respondents, 64.3% (n=2,016) were female, with a median age of 39.0 (33.0, 47.0) years, and 95.8% (n=3,002) had received multiple vaccine doses. The prevalent comorbidities included allergic rhinitis (10.1%), hypertension (6.1%), and diabetes (3.5%). The most frequently reported symptoms were fever (n=2,941, 93.9%), fatigue (n=2,871, 91.6%), expectoration (n=2,847, 90.8%), nasal congestion (n=2,735, 87.2%), and myalgia (n=2,712, 86.5%). Vaccinated individuals, non-smokers, and males exhibited significantly higher rates of respiratory symptoms. Myalgia (35.3%), fatigue (31.5%), and sore throat (30.9%) were the symptoms with the highest incidence of severe occurrence, and this varied between age groups. Except for sneezing, age of 60 years or older was negatively correlated with severe manifestations for all symptoms. Conversely, smoking was positively associated with severe symptoms for nearly all conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The study highlights common systemic and respiratory symptoms among non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients in China, varying by gender, age, and underlying diseases. These findings are clinically important for early identification, diagnosis, treatment evaluation, and global management of COVID-19.