Persistent fatigue following SARS-CoV-2 infection is common and independent of severity of initial infection

作者：Liam Townsend, Adam H. Dyer, Karen M. Jones, Jean Dunne, Aoife Mooney, Fiona Gaffney, Laura L O’Connor, Deirdre Leavy, Kate O’Brien, Joanne Dowds, Jamie A. Sugrue, David Hopkins, Ignacio Martín‐Loeches, Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Parthiban Nadarajan, Anne Marie McLaughlin, Nollaig M. Bourke, Colm J Bergin, Cliona O’Farrelly, Ciarán Bannan, Niall P. Conlon · 发表于：PLoS ONE · 年份：2020 · DOI：10.1371/journal.pone.0240784 · 被引用次数：921 · 研究领域：Long-Term Effects of COVID-19、Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research、COVID-19 and Mental Health

Fatigue is a common symptom in those presenting with symptomatic COVID-19 infection. However, it is unknown if COVID-19 results in persistent fatigue in those recovered from acute infection. We examined the prevalence of fatigue in individuals recovered from the acute phase of COVID-19 illness using the Chalder Fatigue Score (CFQ-11). We further examined potential predictors of fatigue following COVID-19 infection, evaluating indicators of COVID-19 severity, markers of peripheral immune activation and circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines. Of 128 participants (49.5 ± 15 years; 54% female), more than half reported persistent fatigue (67/128; 52.3%) at median of 10 weeks after initial COVID-19 symptoms. There was no association between COVID-19 severity (need for inpatient admission, supplemental oxygen or critical care) and fatigue following COVID-19. Additionally, there was no association between routine laboratory markers of inflammation and cell turnover (leukocyte, neutrophil or lymphocyte counts, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein) or pro-inflammatory molecules (IL-6 or sCD25) and fatigue post COVID-19. Female gender and those with a pre-existing diagnosis of depression/anxiety were over-represented in those with fatigue. Our findings demonstrate a significant burden of post-viral fatigue in individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection after the acute phase of COVID-19 illness. This study highlights the importance of assessing tho...