Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ health
Abstract Background Post-COVID-19 syndrome refers to a variety of symptoms that affect different organs in the body and can persist 28 days following exposure to COVID-19. Previous studies have shown that COVID-19 affects not only elderly individuals but also young adults. However, the influence of...
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BMC
2024-12-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20925-8 |
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| author | Areej Abed Alkhormani Reema Abdullah Alghamdi Yara Abdulaziz Damdam Maria Eissa Almaghrabi Faisal F. Alamri Muhammad Anwar Khan Alqassem Y. Hakami |
| author_facet | Areej Abed Alkhormani Reema Abdullah Alghamdi Yara Abdulaziz Damdam Maria Eissa Almaghrabi Faisal F. Alamri Muhammad Anwar Khan Alqassem Y. Hakami |
| author_sort | Areej Abed Alkhormani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Post-COVID-19 syndrome refers to a variety of symptoms that affect different organs in the body and can persist 28 days following exposure to COVID-19. Previous studies have shown that COVID-19 affects not only elderly individuals but also young adults. However, the influence of post-COVID-19 syndrome on young adults has not been studied sufficiently. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of post-COVID-19 manifestations in young adults. Methods An analytical cross-sectional online questionnaire was distributed from July 2022 to July 2023 to health sciences students in Saudi Arabia. The study used a non-probability convenience sampling technique, and the sample size was calculated to be 464. The survey included questions about the participants’ demographics, health records, COVID-19 results, duration of infection, and previous and current COVID-19 symptoms. Illness severity and management were evaluated using the COVID Experiences (COVEX) Symptoms and Diagnoses module, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression. Results According to the inclusion criteria, 428 participants were divided into three groups: those who fully recovered within 14 days of the acute phase (76.4%), those with prolonged symptoms that resolved within 28 days (16.8%), and those with persistent symptoms for more than 28 days (6.8%). The symptom development frequency during the acute phase significantly differed among the three groups: headache (p = 0.038), loss of smell and taste (p = < 0.001), and fatigue (p = 0.009). The symptoms that significantly differed between the prolonged group and persistent group during the post-COVID-19 syndrome phase were loss of smell and taste (p = < 0.001) and shortness of breath (p = < 0.001). The study results revealed that females are susceptible to long-COVID-19. This study revealed that the overall severity of post-COVID-19 symptoms was mild in this age group. The PHQ-9 score when comparing the three groups showed a significant association with depression (p = 0.035). Conclusion The study results support the perception that not only can the geriatric population suffer from post-COVID-19 syndrome but also that young adults are prone to persistent symptoms such as loss of smell and taste, which may affect their mental health status. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-497580e4e2904ecc881ffa73063c3964 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-497580e4e2904ecc881ffa73063c39642025-01-05T12:49:16ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582024-12-012411910.1186/s12889-024-20925-8Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ healthAreej Abed Alkhormani0Reema Abdullah Alghamdi1Yara Abdulaziz Damdam2Maria Eissa Almaghrabi3Faisal F. Alamri4Muhammad Anwar Khan5Alqassem Y. Hakami6College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesBasic Sciences Department, College of Science and Health Professions, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesCollege of Medicine, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health SciencesAbstract Background Post-COVID-19 syndrome refers to a variety of symptoms that affect different organs in the body and can persist 28 days following exposure to COVID-19. Previous studies have shown that COVID-19 affects not only elderly individuals but also young adults. However, the influence of post-COVID-19 syndrome on young adults has not been studied sufficiently. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of post-COVID-19 manifestations in young adults. Methods An analytical cross-sectional online questionnaire was distributed from July 2022 to July 2023 to health sciences students in Saudi Arabia. The study used a non-probability convenience sampling technique, and the sample size was calculated to be 464. The survey included questions about the participants’ demographics, health records, COVID-19 results, duration of infection, and previous and current COVID-19 symptoms. Illness severity and management were evaluated using the COVID Experiences (COVEX) Symptoms and Diagnoses module, and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression. Results According to the inclusion criteria, 428 participants were divided into three groups: those who fully recovered within 14 days of the acute phase (76.4%), those with prolonged symptoms that resolved within 28 days (16.8%), and those with persistent symptoms for more than 28 days (6.8%). The symptom development frequency during the acute phase significantly differed among the three groups: headache (p = 0.038), loss of smell and taste (p = < 0.001), and fatigue (p = 0.009). The symptoms that significantly differed between the prolonged group and persistent group during the post-COVID-19 syndrome phase were loss of smell and taste (p = < 0.001) and shortness of breath (p = < 0.001). The study results revealed that females are susceptible to long-COVID-19. This study revealed that the overall severity of post-COVID-19 symptoms was mild in this age group. The PHQ-9 score when comparing the three groups showed a significant association with depression (p = 0.035). Conclusion The study results support the perception that not only can the geriatric population suffer from post-COVID-19 syndrome but also that young adults are prone to persistent symptoms such as loss of smell and taste, which may affect their mental health status.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20925-8SARS-Cov-2COVID-19Post-COVID-19Long COVIDPersistent symptoms |
| spellingShingle | Areej Abed Alkhormani Reema Abdullah Alghamdi Yara Abdulaziz Damdam Maria Eissa Almaghrabi Faisal F. Alamri Muhammad Anwar Khan Alqassem Y. Hakami Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ health BMC Public Health SARS-Cov-2 COVID-19 Post-COVID-19 Long COVID Persistent symptoms |
| title | Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ health |
| title_full | Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ health |
| title_fullStr | Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ health |
| title_short | Post-COVID-19 manifestations among college students: shedding the light on young adults’ health |
| title_sort | post covid 19 manifestations among college students shedding the light on young adults health |
| topic | SARS-Cov-2 COVID-19 Post-COVID-19 Long COVID Persistent symptoms |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-20925-8 |
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