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Título

Reduced workability associated with increased levels of fatigue and anxiety in patients with post-COVID syndrome

Resumo

Introduction: Although the neuropsychiatric symptoms of fatigue, depression, anxiety and sleepiness are part of the post-covid syndrome, little is known about their negative impact on work capacity. Here we quantified these symptoms with validated questionnaires and analyzed the relationship with reduced work capacity.

Objective: To investigate the impact of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms (and cognitive dysfunctions) on the occupational vulnerability of survivors in a homogeneous group of bank workers.

Materials and Methods: We analyzed 626 individual bank workers diagnosed with confirmed COVID19 (hospitalized (17%) and non-hospitalized (83%)). The information was extracted from the database of a follow-up study. Patients answered the “Chalder Fatigue Scale (CFQ)”, “Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)”, “Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS)” and “Work Ability Index (WAI)”. We used SPSS22 for statistical analysis with Chi-Square tests for analyses of proportions.

Results: Our patients presented average age 42 years (22 to 66 years old), sex (53.5% female), education (48.9% complete undergraduate, 35.6% graduate and 8,1% complete high school), vaccination (83.4%) and function at work (74.6% contact with the public and 25% administrative work). With an average interval of 200 days between diagnosis and online interview, subjects SELF-reported several symptoms, including related fatigue (37%), anxiety (36%), depression (17%) and cognitive dysfunction (29%). Approximately 20% reported no post-COVID symptoms at the interview. The quantification of symptoms with questionnaires revealed excessive somnolence (ESS) (45,1%), fatigue (CFQ) (79,2%), symptoms of anxiety (HADS) (60,6%) and symptoms of depression (HADS) (65,9%). In addition, the comparison of symptoms between the group with normal WAI (37.5%) and reduced WAI (62.5% of participants) revealed high levels of excessive sleepiness (25% without somnolence versus 56%; p<0.05), fatigue (54% no fatigue versus 93.2% with fatigue; p<0.05), symptoms of depression (18% versus 68.2%; p<0.05) and anxiety (30% versus 76.8%, p<0, 05).

Discussion/Conclusion: Our results reveal a negative impact of neuropsychiatric symptoms on reduced work ability months after the acute infection. These findings point to the urgent need to provide specific treatment for patients to minimize the individual burden and the economic loss.

Palavras Chave

post-COVID syndrome, neuropsychiatric symptoms, Workability