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Symptom response and episodic disability of long COVID in people with spinal cord injury: A case-control study

Kabir MF 1 , Nyein Yin K 1 , Htwe O 2 , Saffree Jeffree M 1 , Binti Ahmedy F 1 , Faizal Zainudin M 3 Show all authors , Jahan S 4 , Hossain MZ 4 , Hossain KMA 4 , Islam MW 5 , Hossain T 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
  • 2 Faculty of Medicine, University Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3 Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST), Jashore, Bangladesh
  • 5 Department of Physiotherapy, Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh
PLoS One, 2024;19(6):e0304824.
PMID: 38941308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304824

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a consequence of significant disability and health issues globally, and long COVID represents the symptoms of neuro-musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory complications.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify the symptom responses and disease burden of long COVID in individuals with spinal cord injury.

METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on patients with SCI residing at a specialised rehabilitation centre in Bangladesh. Forty patients with SCI with and without long COVID symptoms (LCS) were enrolled in this study at a 1:1 ratio according to WHO criteria.

RESULT: Twelve LCS were observed in patients with SCI, including fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, memory loss, headache, respiratory problems, anxiety, depression, insomnia, problem in ADL problem in work, palpitation, and weakness. The predictors of developing long COVID include increasing age (p<0.002), increasing BMI (p<0.03), and longer duration of spinal cord injury (p<0.004). A significant difference (p<0.01) in overall years of healthy life lost due to disability (YLD) for non-long COVID cases was 2.04±0.596 compared to long COVID (LC) cases 1.22±2.09 was observed.

CONCLUSION: Bangladeshi patients of SCI presented 12 long COVID symptoms and have a significant disease burden compared to non long COVID cases.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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