Attributes and factors associated with long covid in patients hospitalized for acute COVID-19: A retrospective cohort study

Background: It is now recognized that many patients have persistent symptoms after recovery from acute COVID-19 infection, an infection caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This constellation of symptoms known as ‘Long COVID’ may manifest with a wide range of physical and cognitive/psychological symptoms. Few data are available on the prevalence, attributes, and factors associated with Long COVID in Africa. Method: This was a retrospective review of patients’ electronic medical records from Hallelujah General Hospital (one of the first private hospitals to treat COVID-19 patients). The hospital’s database was searched for patients hospitalized for acute COVID-19 infection from March 2020 to December 2022. Two hundred and forty-seven participants who underwent follow-up beginning four weeks after symptom onset were assessed for Long COVID. Admission and follow-up data were collected using Kobo Toolbox and exported into SPSS 27 for analysis. The relationship between the independent and dependent variables was explored through binary logistic regression. Results: One hundred seventy-eight (72.1%) participants had at least one persisting symptom 4 weeks post-symptom onset, at a median follow-up time of 35 (IQR 32–40) days. The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue (41.7%), shortness of breath (31.2%), cough (27.1%), and sleep disturbances (15%). Duration of symptoms more than 7 days before admission [aOR = 1.97; CI95% = 1.04 to 3.75; P = 0.038] and length of stay more than 10 days in the hospital [aOR = 2.62; CI95% = 1.20 to 5.72; P = 0.016] were found to be significantly associated with Long COVID. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of Long COVID among patients hospitalized for acute COVID-19. Those who had a longer duration of symptoms before admission and a longer stay in the hospital appear to have a higher risk.