Quality of health of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in the post-COVID period: a two-year follow-up
Authors:   PhD, Associate Professor of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Head of the Scientific Laboratory for the Study of Social and Economic Problems of Regions, Ufa University of Science and Technology, Lakman I.A. , Timiryanova V.M. ,   Doctor of Economics, Chief Researcher of the Scientific Laboratory for the Study of Social and Economic Problems of Regions, Ufa University of Science and Technology, Agapitov A.A. ,   intern-researcher of the department of scientific research, Ufa University of Science and Technology, Sadikova L.F. ,   intern-researcher of the department of scientific research, Ufa University of Science and Technology, Idrisov B.T. ,   assistant at the Department of Infectious Diseases, Bashkir State Medical University, Sladkov R.I. ,   graduate student, Ufa University of Science and Technology, Zagidullin N.S. ,   Doctor of Medical Sciences, Leading Researcher of the Research Department, Ufa University of Science and Technology, head of the department of propaedeutics of internal diseases, Bashkir State Medical University, Gareeva D.F. ,   Candidate of Medical Sciences, Senior Researcher of the Department of Scientific Research, Ufa University of Science and Technology, associate professor of the department. Department of Propaedeutics of Internal Diseases, Bashkir State Medical University, Russia
Published: January 2025

Accumulating evidence indicates a high prevalence of long-term negative consequences of COVID-19. Their final assessment is possible only after their complete disappearance, which, given the ongoing registration of negative assessments of the health status of some hospitalized COVID-19 patients, is impossible in the near future. Taking this into account, further study of post-Covid consequences in dynamics is relevant. The purpose of the study was to determine the quality of life and health of patients in the long-term period (24 months) after hospitalization for COVID-19-associated pneumonia. Material and methods. The study was conducted on data from 158 patients with moderate and severe severity who were hospitalized during the first wave of coronavirus infection in the period 09/01/2020-11/30/2020. To assess the quality of life in the post-Covid period the VR-12 questionnaire was used. The study involved conducting structural and frequency analysis, assessing the consistency of answers to the questionnaire using Cronbach's alpha and the chi-square test, calculating the nonparametric Spearman rank correlation coefficient, and non-serial correlation coefficients. To identify factors influencing health assessments, a linear regression model was built. Ordered logistic regression was estimated to identify factors influencing the distribution of responses to additional questions. Results. The analysis showed an insignificant difference between the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) of the respondents. A connection was found between age and the risk of deterioration in self-esteem of health. It was possible to identify a significant difference in the self-assessment of the quality of physical and mental health in men and women, taking into account adjustment for age, two years after suffering from pneumonia, and also to substantiate the non-significance of RDS during hospitalization, given the significance of a high percentage of lung damage for the lower self-assessment of health of persons who had suffered coronavirus infection of moderate and severe severity. Conclusion. The results are largely consistent with studies conducted in other countries, indicating an uneven change in post-Covid consequences and emphasizing the importance of individual recovery programs taking into account the severity of the disease, age and gender of patients.
Keywords: post-Covid consequences, long-COVID, VR-12, mental health index, physical component summary, mental component summary.