Dyspnea and Quality of Life in Hospital Workers After COVID-19
Author Information
Author(s): Humberto Batista de Macedo Junior, Mediano Mauro Felippe Felix, Kasal Daniel Arthur Barata, Verduri Alessia
Primary Institution: National Institute of Cardiology, Ministry of Health, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Hypothesis
Is self-reported dyspnea associated with reduced health-related quality of life in hospital workers one year after mild COVID-19 infection?
Conclusion
Self-reported dyspnea is linked to lower health-related quality of life in hospital workers long after recovering from COVID-19.
Supporting Evidence
- Self-reported dyspnea was indicated by 22 individuals (20.2%).
- The median EQ-5D-3L score was 0.79.
- The median VAS score was 80.
- Those with dyspnea displayed lower VAS and EQ-5D-3L index scores.
- Self-reported dyspnea was associated with more problems in usual activities.
- Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05.
- Participants were interviewed at a median of 400 days after COVID-19 diagnosis.
- Adjusted models showed persistent associations between dyspnea and lower HRQOL.
Takeaway
This study found that hospital workers who had trouble breathing after COVID-19 felt worse overall about their health and quality of life.
Methodology
Hospital workers with previous COVID-19 infections were interviewed using the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire to evaluate health-related quality of life.
Potential Biases
Potential reporting bias due to reliance on self-reported data.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size from a single center and relied on self-reported measures of dyspnea.
Participant Demographics
Majority were women (67.9%) with a median age of 44 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Confidence Interval
95% CI for EQ-5D-3L index score: −0.06 to −0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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