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Emerging evidence suggests that mental health symptoms in COVID-19 survivors are higher than expected, possibly indicating that such symptoms are more likely to develop post-infection than just persist as a residual component of the acute phase. It is thus imperative to investigate the potential development of a post-COVID mental health syndrome in the longer-term and identify its risk factors.A prospective study investigated mental health symptoms associated with COVID-19 and its determinants over a 12-month period following the disease onset in all consecutive adult inpatients and outpatients with COVID-19 attending a tertiary referral hospital from March to May 2020.A total of 479 patients (female, 52.6%) were followed-up for 12 months after COVID-19 onset. Of them, 47.2% were still presenting with at least one symptom. While most symptoms subsided as compared to COVID-19 onset (allFindings of this study may have important public health implications, as they underlie the increased need for mental health support in COVID-19 survivors.Nuevas evidencias sugieren que los síntomas de salud mental en los supervivientes de COVID-19 son mayores de lo esperado, lo que posiblemente indica que es más probable que dichos síntomas se desarrollen después de la infección en vez de sólo persistir como componente residual de la fase aguda. Por lo tanto, es imperativo investigar el posible desarrollo de un síndrome de salud mental post-COVID a largo plazo e identificar sus factores de riesgo.Un estudio prospectivo investigó los síntomas de salud mental asociados a la COVID-19 y sus determinantes durante un periodo de 12 meses tras el inicio de la enfermedad en todos los pacientes adultos consecutivos con COVID-19, hospitalizados y ambulatorios, que acudieron a un hospital de tercer nivel entre marzo y mayo de 2020.Un total de 479 pacientes (mujeres, 52,6%) fueron seguidos durante 12 meses después del inicio de COVID-19. De ellos, el 47,2% seguía presentando al menos un síntoma. Mientras que la mayoría de los síntomas disminuyeron en comparación con el inicio de la COVID-19 (todos p 0,001), se observó un aumento significativo solamente de los síntomas de los trastornos psiquiátricos (10,2%) y la falta de concentración y enfoque (20%; todos p 0,001). Los pacientes que presentaban síntomas relacionados con múltiples sistemas del cuerpo 12 meses después de contraer la COVID-19 (todos p ≤ 0,034) tenían más probabilidades de sufrir síntomas relacionados con el dominio de la salud mental en el seguimiento. Además, se encontró un mayor riesgo de presentar falta de concentración y enfoque 12 meses después de la infección en los que sufrían síntomas psiquiátricos al inicio de COVID-19 (p = 0,005).Los resultados de este estudio pueden tener importantes implicaciones para la salud pública, ya que subyacen a la mayor necesidad de apoyo a la salud mental de los supervivientes de COVID-19.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the prevalence of hyposmia and dysgeusia in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and their temporal relationship with the onset of other symptoms.MethodsWe performed a retrospective analysis of patients admitted during the month of March 2020 to the nonintensive COVID unit of Udine University Hospital on the basis of a positive swab test and/or of clinical-radiologic signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. Clinical and laboratory data were collected. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, and results expressed as point estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsOf 141 patients admitted, 93 were interviewed. Hyposmia and dysgeusia were present in 58 cases (62.4%). In 22.4% of them, olfactory and gustatory impairment clearly preceded systemic symptoms. The presence of active smoking was very limited in both groups: 8.6% in hyposmic vs 2.9% in normosmic patients (odds ratio 3.2; 95% CI 0.3–28.6). Moreover, total leukocytes and neutrophils count were respectively 23% (effect estimate 1.23; 95% CI 1.06–1.42) and 29% (effect estimate 1.29; 95% CI 1.07–1.54) lower in the hyposmic cohort. No difference was found for other inflammatory biomarkers.ConclusionsHyposmia and dysgeusia are common in SARS-CoV-2 infection and can precede systemic symptoms. They should be actively searched and prompt close monitoring and isolation until infection is confirmed or disproven. The lower number of total leukocytes and neutrophils in hyposmic patients might indicate an early-phase virus-induced cytopenia.

The COVID-19 pandemic emotionally affected the lives of patients cared for in different settings. However, a comprehensive view of the whole experience as lived by survived patients, from the onset of the disease and over time, is substantially unknown to date. A descriptive qualitative design was implemented according to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. Adult patients (=1067) cared for during the first wave (March/April 2020) capable of answering an interview and willing to participate were interviewed (=397) by phone with an interview guide including open- and closed-ended questions. In this context, they were asked to summarise with a metaphor their entire COVID-19 experience at six months. Then, the emotional orientation (positive, neutral, or negative) of the metaphors expressed was identified. The participants were mainly female (206; 51.9%), with an average age of 52.6 years (CI 95% 50.4–53.6), reporting a mild severity of COVID-19 disease at the onset (261; 65.7%) and the perception of being completely healed (294; 70%) at six months. The patients summarised their experiences mainly using negative-oriented (248; 62.5%) metaphors; only 54 (13.6%) reported positive-oriented metaphors and a quarter (95; 23.95) neutral-oriented metaphors. Nearly all positive-oriented metaphors were reported by patients with symptoms at the onset (53; 98.1%), a significantly higher proportion compared to those reporting negative- (219; 88.3%) and neutral–oriented (78; 82.1%) metaphors (p = 0.014). While no other clinical features of the disease were associated, among females, significantly more negative-oriented metaphors emerged. Moreover, neutral-oriented metaphors were reported by younger patients (49.5 years, CI 95% 64.11–52.92) as compared to those negative and positive that were reported by more mature patients (53.9; CI 95% 52.04–55.93 and 54.8; CI 95% 50.53–59.24, respectively) (p = 0.044). Nurses and healthcare services require data to predict the long-term needs of patients. Our findings suggest that, for many patients, the COVID-19 lived experience was negative over time.

Coronavirus disease 2019 poses a serious threat to public health. The protocol developed at the Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (Italy) is based on clinical data, laboratory tests, chest echography and HRCT. Several therapeutic options are considered, since patients vary in disease severity, evolution and co-morbidities and because so far there are no clear indications about therapeutic strategy based on randomized clinical trial. In this protocol chest echography has a central role in categorizing patient status, follow-up and decision-making.

We aimed to assess the attitude towards influenza and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccinations among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recovered patients. We performed a cross-sectional study consisting of a standardized telephone interview carried out between September and November 2020 targeting a cohort of adult in- and out-patients that had recovered from COVID-19 after the first wave (March–May 2020) at Udine Hospital (Italy). Overall, 599 people participated (320 female, median age 53 years) and most had experienced an acute COVID-19 with mild illness (409, 68.3%). The majority were hesitant or undecided towards influenza (327, 54.6%) and SARS-CoV-2 (353, 59.2%) vaccines. Older age, public work exposure, and previous 2019 flu shots were the main factors associated with a positive attitude toward both vaccinations (p &lt, 0.05). Being hospitalized during the acute COVID-19 phase was associated with the willingness to get a flu shot (94/272, 34.5%) but not SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (70/244, 28.7%). Vaccine hesitancy is diffuse and multifactorial also among COVID-19 recovered.

Objectives To assess the prevalence of and factors associated with post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) syndrome 6 months after the onset. Methods A bidirectional prospective study. Interviews investigated symptoms potentially associated with COVID-19 6 months after the disease onset of all consecutive adult inpatients and outpatients with COVID-19 attending Udine Hospital (Italy) from March to May 2020. IgG antibodies against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were also evaluated 6 months after the onset of symptoms, at the time of the interview. Results A total of 599 individuals were included (320 female, 53.4%; mean age 53 years, SD 15.8) and interviewed 187 days (22 SD) after onset. The prevalence of post-COVID-19 syndrome was 40.2% (241/599). The presence of IgG antibodies was significantly associated with the occurrence of post-COVID-19 syndrome (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.48–4.38, p 0.001) and median SARS-CoV-2 IgG titres were significantly higher in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome than in patients without symptoms (42.1, IQR 17.1–78.4 vs. 29.1, IQR 12.1–54.2 kAU/L, p 0.004). Female gender (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.05–2.27), a proportional increase in the number of symptoms at the onset of COVID-19 (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.59–2.05) and ICU admission OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.18–8.11) were all independent risk factors for post-COVID-19 syndrome. The same predictors also emerged in a subgroup of 231 patients with the serological follow-up available at the time of the interview alongside the proportional increase in anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG (OR 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.02, p 0.04). Discussion Prospective follow-up could be offered to specific subgroups of COVID-10 patients, to identify typical symptoms and persistently high anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG titres as a means of early detection of post-COVID-19 long-term sequelae.

The aim of this study was to assess the long-term dynamics and factors associated with the serological response against the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 after primary infection. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted with monthly serological follow-up during the first 4 months, and then at 6, 8, and 10 months after the disease onset of all recovered adult in- and outpatients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) attending Udine Hospital (Italy) during the first wave (from March to May 2020). A total of 546 individuals were included (289 female, mean age 53.1 years), mostly with mild COVID-19 (370, 68.3%). Patients were followed for a median of 302 days (interquartile range, 186 to 311). The overall seroconversion rate within 2 months was 32% for IgM and 90% for IgG. Seroreversion was observed in 90% of patients for IgM at 4 months and in 47% for IgG at 10 months. Older age, number of symptoms at acute onset, and severity of acute COVID-19 were all independent predictors of long-term immunity both for IgM (β, linear regression coefficient, 1.10, P = 0.001; β 5.15 P = 0.014; β 43.84 P = 0.021, respectively) and for IgG (β 1.43 P

Mid Regional pro-ADM (MR-proADM) is a promising novel biomarker in the evaluation of deteriorating patients and an emergent prognosis factor in patients with sepsis, septic shock and organ failure. It can be induced by bacteria, fungi or viruses. We hypothesized that the assessment of MR-proADM, with or without other inflammatory cytokines, as part of a clinical assessment of COVID-19 patients at hospital admission, may assist in identifying those likely to develop severe disease. A pragmatic retrospective analysis was performed on a complete data set from 111 patients admitted to Udine University Hospital, in northern Italy, from 25th March to 15th May 2020, affected by SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Clinical scoring systems (SOFA score, WHO disease severity class, SIMEU clinical phenotype), cytokines (IL-6, IL-1b, IL-8, TNF-α), and MR-proADM were measured. Demographic, clinical and outcome data were collected for analysis. At multivariate analysis, high MR-proADM levels were significantly associated with negative outcome (death or orotracheal intubation, IOT), with an odds ratio of 4.284 [1.893–11.413], together with increased neutrophil count (OR = 1.029 [1.011–1.049]) and WHO disease severity class (OR = 7.632 [5.871–19.496]). AUROC analysis showed a good discriminative performance of MR-proADM (AUROC: 0.849 [95% Cl 0.771–0.730]; p