Clinical presentation and persistent symptoms in patients at a post-COVID-19 clinic in Ghana

Abstract

Introduction: on March 11^th, 2020, the World Health Organization recognized COVID-19 as a pandemic. By March 31^st, 2021, the Ghana Health Service had recorded a cumulative 90,782 positive cases and 748 deaths in the country. Despite the significant resources and efforts being put into containing and treating individuals with COVID-19, there is a lack of information within sub-Saharan Africa on clinical presentations and factors associated with experiencing persistent symptoms of COVID-19.

Methods: in this retrospective study, we collected data obtained from patients with COVID-19 who were discharged from the post-COVID-19 clinic at the Ga East Municipal Hospital, Ghana, between April 1^st, 2020, and March 31^st, 2021, to assess clinical presentations and identify predictors of COVID-19 symptoms that persist beyond 14 days from the onset of the symptom.

Results: of the 253 patients who experienced symptoms of COVID-19, 81 (32.0%) experienced symptoms that persisted beyond 14 days. Cough (64.0%), headache (38.7%), and chest pain (28.1%) were the most common symptoms. After adjusting for covariates, the odds of patients presenting with COVID-19 symptoms that persist beyond 14 days are 98% higher among patients who experienced chest pain compared to those who did not and 2% increased for each additional year of their age.

Conclusion: patient´s age and experiencing chest pain were significant predictors of symptoms that persist beyond 14 days. The findings of our study highlight the need to continue to monitor and care for individuals with identified predictors of experiencing persistent symptoms of COVID-19.