Fatigue in Individuals with Post-COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues as an epidemic with high morbidity and mortality rates. Individuals experience physiological and psychological changes after COVID-19, with fatigue being a frequently reported symptom both during and after infection. Fatigue is a multidimensional subjective concept, necessitating evaluation with measurement tools for effective treatment and care planning.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the fatigue levels in individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 through a cross-sectional descriptive approach.

Methods: The study included 300 individuals who had COVID-19 between July 1 and August 1, 2021. Ethics committee approval and permission from the Ministry of Health were obtained prior to the research. Data were collected online using a questionnaire and the Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS), covering socio-demographic characteristics and COVID-19-related processes. Higher PFS scores indicated increased fatigue levels. The data were analyzed using Student’s t-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney U tests.

Results: The majority of participants were aged 34-41, female, married, high school graduates, with chronic diseases, and had transmitted COVID-19 to family members. The average PFS score was 5.50 ± 1.28, with individuals aged 50-57, married, and with chronic diseases reporting higher scores (p < 0.05). Post-COVID-19 symptoms included shortness of breath, fatigue, forgetfulness, cough, and loss of smell. Higher PFS scores were observed in participants with shortness of breath, body pain, cough, difficulty con-centrating, and increased sleep tendency, although these findings were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: Fatigue persists for months after COVID-19, with individual variations in fatigue levels. Individuals reported various symptoms during and after infection, with the severity of fatigue varying according to these symptoms.