Prevalence of Symptoms in Patients Discharged from COVID Care Facility of NIMS Hospital: Is RT PCR Negativity Truly Reflecting Recovery? A Single-Centre Observational Study

PURPOSE: To assess the prevalence of post-COVID symptoms in patients with recovered COVID-19 (nasopharyngeal RT PCR negative) who were discharged from an acute COVID care facility at a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India. METHODS: This study was an observational study with retrospective data collection, conducted in the COVID follow-up clinic, a combined clinic of medicine and endocrinology. Patients discharged from the acute COVID care facility were recruited after 14 days of discharge if they fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria. The retrospective data was collected from the hospital records/EMR and analysed by the SPSSv23. RESULTS: Fifty patients, who fulfilled the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were included in the study. The Mean age of patients was 53.4±13.8 years (range 28–77). Seventy six percent were male, and 38% had type 2 diabetes. Fever (94%), cough (78%) and breathlessness (68%), were the most common symptoms at presentation to acute care facility. Oxygen saturation at presentation had a negative correlation with D-Dimer, age, and C reactive protein. When patients were evaluated clinically, after 14 days (range 15 to 50 days) of the discharge, 82% of patients had at least one persistent symptom. Fatigue (74%) was the most common symptoms in follow-up followed by breathlessness (44%), and muscle weakness (36%). Two patients had persistent fever, even after negative RT PCR status. CONCLUSION: Patients discharged from the acute COVID care facility had a high prevalence of post-COVID symptoms even after 14 days.