Characterization of Long COVID and Its Contributing Factors among a Population of Health Care Workers in a 6-Month Follow-up

Health care workers (HCWs) are at the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Long COVID is defined as “the persistence of some symptoms of COVID-19, more than 4 weeks after the initial infection.” The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of long COVID status among HCWs in the largest hospital complex of Iran.  

In this cross-sectional study, all patients with COVID-19 who had taken sick leave were included in the study (n = 445).  Data regarding sick leave characteristics were collected from the records of the nursing management department of the hospital. Study variables included demographic and occupational information, variables related to mental health assessment, organ systems involved in COVID-19, and duration of symptoms. Frequencies, percentage distributions, means, standard deviation, and range (minimum, maximum) were used as descriptive analysis methods. Associations between symptoms’ persistency and clinical characteristics were assessed by  logistic and linear regressions.  

Age, N95 mask use, and respiratory protection significantly contributed to the persistence of COVID-19 symptoms (P < 0.05). The prevalence of long COVID among HCWs was 9.44% among 445 participants. The loss of taste persisted longer than the other symptoms before returning to normal.  Among the postrecovery complications asked, anxiety was the most common persistent mental symptom (58.5%), followed by gloomy mood (46.3%) and low interest (46.2%), respectively.  

HCWs with COVID-19 symptoms had prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 that can affect their work performance, thus, we recommend evaluating COVID-19 symptoms in HCWs with infection history.