Bauer Theresa, Grabowska Weronika, Ortiz Miriam, Bellmann-Strobl Judith, Engelhardt Ute, Nögel Rainer, Hummelsberger Josef, Michalsen Andreas, Roll Stephanie, Stöckigt Barbara, Batram Hosnya, Mietzner Anna, Scheibenbogen Carmen, Willich Stefan N, Paul Friedemann, Brinkhaus Benno, Dietzel Joanna
Institute of Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Institute of Medical Immunology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Integr Med Res. 2025 Sep;14(3):101197. doi: 10.1016/j.imr.2025.101197. Epub 2025 Jul 5.
Post COVID-19 syndrome (PCS), characterized by persistent fatigue and multi-systemic symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection, emerged as a clinical challenge with limited treatment options and high patient burden. This paper presents the medication history and clinical baseline characteristics of PCS patients recruited in a randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Patients who reported PCS symptoms of ≥12 weeks after SARS-CoV-2 infection and who met defined fatigue criteria were included in this study. At baseline we assessed among others demographic data, symptom burden, medication history including off-label drug use, dietary supplements, and complementary self-help strategies.
Altogether 235 adult PCS-patients were recruited between June 2022 and June 2023. The study population (mean age 42.1 years, 85.1 % female) reported a mean PCS duration of 56.4 weeks, with 74 % on sick leave. Patients frequently used off-label medications (e.g. antihistamines 9.4 %), supplements (vitamin D 53.6 %, minerals 50.2 %), and herbal medicine products (32.3 %). Most PCS patients had prior experience with complementary medicine. Correlations between fatigue and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) were modest but notable. No strong associations were found between fatigue and age, sex, PCS duration, or vaccination status.
PCS-patients suffered from long-term complaints that led to a long period of sick leave and resorted to diverse, largely unproven therapeutic strategies amid clinical uncertainty. This baseline analysis highlights the unmet needs of PCS patients. Understanding these baseline patterns is essential for optimizing care pathways and patient-centered management strategies in PCS.
Clinicaltrial.gov (NCT05289154).
新冠后综合征（PCS）表现为感染严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）后持续疲劳和多系统症状，成为一项临床挑战，治疗选择有限且患者负担沉重。本文介绍了在一项随机对照试验（RCT）中招募的PCS患者的用药史和临床基线特征。
报告SARS-CoV-2感染后12周及以上PCS症状且符合既定疲劳标准的患者纳入本研究。在基线时，我们评估了人口统计学数据、症状负担、用药史（包括使用未获批准的药物）、膳食补充剂和辅助自助策略等。
2022年6月至2023年6月期间共招募了235例成年PCS患者。研究人群（平均年龄42.1岁，85.1%为女性）报告的PCS平均病程为56.4周，74%的患者正在休病假。患者经常使用未获批准的药物（如抗组胺药9.4%）、补充剂（维生素D 53.6%，矿物质50.2%）和草药产品（32.3%）。大多数PCS患者有过使用补充替代医学的经历。疲劳与抑郁症状（患者健康问卷-9）之间的相关性中等但显著。未发现疲劳与年龄、性别、PCS病程或疫苗接种状态之间有强关联。
PCS患者长期饱受病痛折磨，导致长期病假，并在临床不确定性中诉诸多种大多未经证实的治疗策略。这项基线分析凸显了PCS患者未得到满足的需求。了解这些基线模式对于优化PCS的护理路径和以患者为中心的管理策略至关重要。
Clinicaltrial.gov（NCT05289154）
