The Symptom Experience and Functioning of Non-Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients Within the First 20 days

Eylem Tütün Yümin, Mahmut Sürmeli, Ceyhun Topcuoğlu, Merve Başol Göksülük and Murat Yümin

Clinical Nursing Research, 2023, vol. 32, issue 3, 608-617

Abstract: The adverse physical, psychological, and mental health consequences associated with COVID-19 illness are well-documented. However, how specific symptoms change over time and how COVID-19 affects one’s day-to-day activities of daily living (ADL), Quality of Life (QoL), sleep quality, and fatigue severity are not well described. This longitudinal and descriptive study examined the changes in COVID-19 symptoms, ADL, QoL, sleep quality, and fatigue severity within the first 20 days. A convenience sample ( n  = 41) of non-hospitalized SARS-CoV-2 positive patients were recruited and followed for 20 days. Participants completed self-report measures: COVID-19 symptoms, ADL, QoL, sleep quality, and fatigue severity at days: 1, 10, and 20 following a diagnosis. Findings revealed that symptoms decreased over 20 days ( p    .05). Our findings contribute to the growing evidence that COVID-19 symptoms can linger, especially fatigue and sleep quality, that affect overall day-to-day functioning for at least 20 days after diagnosis. To mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on QOL and ADL, findings underscore the need for clinicians to work collaboratively with patients to develop a symptom management plan for a variety of symptoms including fatigue and sleep quality. Beginning to repurpose existing self-management strategies for the longer term COVID-19 symptoms could be beneficial and help to optimize patient outcomes. Future work should examine these variables over a longer timeframe and among different samples of non-hospitalized patients.

Keywords: COVID-19; quality of life; activities of daily living; sleep quality; fatigue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:clnure:v:32:y:2023:i:3:p:608-617

DOI: 10.1177/10547738231155729

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