BACKGROUND: The long-term impact of symptom classification on quality of life (QOL) and economic outcomes among individuals with long coronavirus disease (COVID) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to clarify the situation of long COVID in Japan by analyzing patients using cluster classification. METHODS: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study enrolled 515 patients with COVID-19 and followed up for 36 months via standardized questionnaires. Patients were classified based on: 1) symptom trajectory over time and 2) symptom cluster profiles at 3 months. RESULTS: While the number of symptoms decreased, fatigue and dyspnea frequently persisted, whereas anosmia and dysgeusia declined. Cough and sputum decreased gradually. The proportion of patients with 5-9 symptoms increased. The mean (interquartile range) presenteeism scores were lower in the continuous (60 [50-80]) and relapse groups (65 [48-80]) than in the recovered group (70 [50-80]). The multiple symptoms cluster had the worst SF-36, presenteeism, and absenteeism scores (47.2 [44.7-49.8], 48.8 [27.5-72.5], and 10.9 [0.0-11.0], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Patients with continuous and multiple symptoms experienced persistently lower QOL and greater economic burden up to 36 months after COVID-19 diagnosis. The long-term effects of long COVID are not only physical but also mental and economical. Thus, further research is needed to clarify the economical and physiological impact of long COVID.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; COVID-19/complications* ; Japan/epidemiology* ; Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome/psychology* ; Quality of Life ; Retrospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study is to determine whether a questionnaire-based method using the Veterans Specific Activity Questionnaire (VSAQ) is a practical tool for the development of a safe exercise program to prevent a reduction in physical performance.

METHODSOne hundred and twenty-one senior residents of Yakage, Okayama, agreed to voluntarily participate in this study. They were asked to complete a questionnaire for information on age, sex, subjective health status, exercise habits and VSAQ. We investigated the relationship between age and exercise capacity predicted by VSAQ (predicted metabolic equivalents (METs)). In addition, for 36 out of the 121 participants, we performed a 6-min walk distance test (6MD) and investigated whether its results correlate with the predicted METs. Furthermore, we prepared a modified VSAQ and examined its practicality in the evaluation of the exercise capacity of Japanese elderly (n=50).

RESULTSWe found that the predicted METs correlate well with age. Habitual exercise and subjective health status did not affect the predicted METs. A significant correlation was observed between the predicted METs and the results of 6MD (r=0.56, p<0.001). We also found that certain activities included in the original VSAQ are unfamiliar to Japanese elderly; thus, we made a few modifications to the original VSAQ in order to evaluate the physical fitness of Japanese elderly. The number of inadequate answers was reduced by employing the modified VSAQ.

CONCLUSIONThese findings imply that the modified VSAQ is useful in evaluating the exercise capacity of Japanese elderly adequately and is a practical scale for safe exercise.