Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36620918›Full record

ArticleBrain and behavior2023

Fatigue after COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients according to sex.

Iwona Mazurkiewicz, Zaneta Chatys-Bogacka, Joanna Slowik, Alicja Klich-Raczka, Malgorzata Fedyk-Lukasik, Agnieszka Slowik, Marcin Wnuk, Leszek Drabik

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Brain and behavior, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
3.3field-weighted citation impact, top 8% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  5. Review
  6. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Iwona MazurkiewiczDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
Zaneta Chatys-BogackaDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
Joanna SlowikDepartment of Periodontology, Preventive Dentistry and Oral Medicine, Institute of Dentistry, Faculty of Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
Alicja Klich-RaczkaDepartment of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
Malgorzata Fedyk-LukasikDepartment of Internal Medicine and Gerontology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
Agnieszka SlowikDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
Marcin WnukDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital in Krakow, Krakow, Poland.ORCID 0000-0002-1090-7496
Leszek DrabikDepartment of Pharmacology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland.ORCID 0000-0003-1599-7168
Jagiellonian University · PLKrakow Cardiovascular Research Institute · PL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundLimited evidence exists on sex differences in post-COVID fatigue among non-hospitalized patients. Therefore, aim of the study was to evaluate the course of chronic fatigue symptoms in non-hospitalized subjects with the SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to sex.

methodsPatients and staff from the University Hospital in Krakow anonymously and retrospectively completed neuropsychological questionnaire that included eight symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. The presence of these symptoms was assessed before COVID-19 and 0-4, 4-12, and >12 weeks postinfection. The inclusion criteria were as follows: age 18 or more years, >12 weeks since the onset of the SARS-CoV-2 infection, and diagnosis confirmed by the RT-PCR from anasopharyngeal swab.

resultsWe included 303 patients (79.53% women, 47.52% medical personnel) assessed retrospectively after a median of 30 (interquartile range: 23-35) weeks since the onset of symptoms. A higher prevalence of at least one chronic fatigue symptom was found in females in all time intervals after the onset of COVID-19 compared to males (p < .036). Women, compared to men, more often experienced persistent fatigue, not caused by effort and persisting after rest (for <4 weeks, odds ratio [OR] = 2.31, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.13-4.73; for 4-12 weeks, OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.06-3.61), non-restorative sleep (for <4 weeks, OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.23-3.81; for >12 weeks, OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.03-3.71), and sore throat (for <4 weeks, OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.03-3.78; for 4-12 weeks, OR = 2.76, 95% CI: 1.05-7.27). Sex differences in headache, arthralgia, and prolonged postexercise fatigue were observed only during the first 4 weeks (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.45-4.60, OR = 2.97, 95% CI: 1.02-8.64, and OR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.01-3.51, respectively). There were no differences between women and men in myalgia and self-reported lymph node enlargement.

conclusionsThe course of post-COVID fatigue differs significantly between sexes in non-hospitalized individuals with COVID-19, with women more often suffering from persistent fatigue, not caused by effort and persisting after rest, non-restorative sleep, and sore throat.

Indexed as

COVID-19Fatigue Syndrome, ChronicAdolescentFemaleHeadacheHumansMaleRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2COVID-19fatiguelong covidsex

Identifiers

PMID36620918
PMCPMC9927850
OpenAlexW4313857706

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.