A Systematic Review and Quality Evaluation of Studies on Long-Term Sequelae of COVID-19

Abstract

COVID-19 made its debut as a pandemic in 2020; since then, more than 607 million cases and at least 6.5 million deaths have been reported worldwide. While the burden of disease has been described, the long-term effects or chronic sequelae are still being clarified. The aim of this study was to present an overview of the information available on the sequelae of COVID-19 in people who have suffered from the infection. A systematic review was carried out in which cohort studies, case series, and clinical case reports were included, and the PubMed, Scielo, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases were extracted. Information was published from 2020 to 1 June 2022, and we included 26 manuscripts: 9 for pulmonary, 6 for cardiac, 2 for renal, 8 for neurological and psychiatric, and 6 for cutaneous sequelae. Studies showed that the most common sequelae were those linked to the lungs, followed by skin, cutaneous, and psychiatric alterations. Women reported a higher incidence of the sequelae, as well as those with comorbidities and more severe COVID-19 history. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused death and disease since its appearance, but it has also sickened millions of people around the globe who potentially suffer from serious illnesses that will continue to add to the list of health problems, and further burden healthcare systems around the world.