PERSISTENCE OF SYMPTOMS AFTER COVID INFECTIONAMONG HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Introduction: The symptomatology associated with covid-19 infection has been well described throughout the literature, however little data exists on the persistence of symptoms post the initialrecovery. Material and method: This is a descriptive cross-sectional observational study whose objectives were to determine the prevalence of persistent symptoms and to evaluate the quality-of-lifeamong health professionals diagnosedwith covid-19 in the Souss Massa region in September 2021. Results:One hundred and eighty-three healthcare professionals were included in the study, 123 (67%) of whom were women. The mean age was 35 ± 11 years with a range of 22 to 60 years. The main comorbidities were obesity, asthma and dysthyroidism. Participants with covid-19 infection were symptomatic 82% (152 cases) of the time and were evaluated on average 40 days after the onset of the first symptom. At the time of evaluation, 30% (54 cases) were completely cured, however 70% (129 cases) of participants maintained at least one chronic symptom. Of these symptoms, 59% (108 cases) reported fatigue, 28.4% (52 cases) cough, 18.6% (34 cases) headache and 22% (40 cases) anosmia. In addition, a decrease in quality of life was observed among 29% (53 cases) of the participants. Conclusion: Covid-19 can lead to prolonged illness and persistent symptoms, even among young adults and individuals with no or few comorbidities who have not been hospitalized. The persistence of symptoms impacts ones quality of life, both physically and mentally, which supports the need for regular assessment and monitoring of individuals post covid-19 recovery.