Exploring the impact of cognitive dysfunction, fatigue, and shortness of breath on activities of daily life after COVID-19 infection, until 1-year follow-up

Abstract

Objective: Despite expanding knowledge on COVID-19,  the long-term effects on daily-life activities remain unclear. The prevalence and changes in fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, and activity limitations in the first year after COVID-19 infection in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients were explored. Subjects: A total of 122 patients were recruited from hospital care and 90 from primary care. Method: Baseline data comprised the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Trail Making Test. Participants were followed up at 3 and 12 months using these tests and a semi-structured interview to identify symptoms and how they affected participation in daily-life activities. Both within- and between-group analyses were performed to explore changes over time and compare groups. Result: High levels of fatigue and cognitive dysfunction were found in both groups, which persisted for 12 months. A significant impact on daily-life activities was also observed, with marginal change at the 12-month follow-up. The hospital care group performed worse than the primary care group in the cognitive tests, although the primary care group perceived a higher level of fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. Activity limitations were higher in the primary care group than in the hospital care group. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for long-term follow-up and further investigation of the impact of persistent deficits on rehabilitation.