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A distinct symptom pattern emerges for COVID-19 long-haul: a nationwide study

Year: 2022

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Long-haul COVID-19, also called Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC), is a new illness caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection and characterized by the persistence of symptoms. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to identify a distinct and significant temporal pattern of PASC symptoms (symptom type and onset) among a nationwide sample of PASC survivors (n= 5,652). The sample was randomly sorted into two independent samples for exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Five factors emerged from the EFA: (1) cold & flu-like symptoms, (2) change in smell and/or taste, (3) dyspnea and chest pain, (4) cognitive & visual problems, and (5) cardiac symptoms. The CFA had excellent model fit ( x 2 = 513.721, df= 207, p<0.01, TLI= 0.952, CFI= 0.964, RMSEA= 0.024). These findings demonstrate a novel symptom pattern for PASC. These findings can enable nurses in the identification of at-risk patients and facilitate early, systematic symptom management strategies for PASC.

Source: Scientific Reports

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20214-7