1. Effects of Long COVID on Psycho-Physical Conditions in the Italian Population: A Statistical and Large Language Model Combined Description.
- Author
-
Lupo, Roberto, Vitale, Elsa, Panzanaro, Ludovica, Lezzi, Alessia, Lezzi, Pierluigi, Botti, Stefano, Rubbi, Ivan, Carvello, Maicol, Calabrò, Antonino, Puglia, Alessandra, Conte, Luana, and De Nunzio, Giorgio
- Subjects
LANGUAGE models ,POST-acute COVID-19 syndrome ,GENERATIVE artificial intelligence ,ITALIAN language ,POPULATION statistics - Abstract
Background: Long COVID refers to the persistence or development of signs and symptoms well after the acute phase of COVID-19. Objective of the study: To investigate the long-term outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in terms of psychological, social, and relational consequences within the Italian population. Materials and methods: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, and multicenter study using an online questionnaire distributed to a sample of the Italian population. By utilizing the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12) and the Hikikomori scale, we assessed perceived quality of life and social isolation, respectively. The questionnaire also included an open-answer question: "What will you remember about the pandemic period?". We used generative artificial intelligence to analyze and summarize the corresponding answers. Results: A total of 1097 people participated in this study. A total of 79.3% (n = 870) of participants declared that they had been hospitalized and 62.8% (n = 689) received home care. Physical symptoms included headaches (43%, n = 472) and asthma (30.4%, n = 334). Additionally, 29.2% (n = 320) developed an addiction during the pandemic and, among these, 224 claimed internet addiction while 73 declared an emotional addiction. Furthermore, 51.8% (n = 568) experienced limitations in carrying out daily life activities. According to the Hikikomori scale, participants with positive SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibited higher levels of isolation compared to the others (p < 0.001). Participants without COVID-19 showed higher levels of emotional support (p < 0.001). Our semiautomatic analysis of the open-ended responses, obtained by a procedure based on a free large language model, allowed us to deduce and summarize the main feelings expressed by the interviewees regarding the pandemic. Conclusions: The data collected emphasize the urgent need to investigate the consequences of long COVID in order to implement interventions to support psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF