Late Complications of COVID-19; An Umbrella Review on Current Systematic Reviews

Introduction:

Several clinical manifestations have been discovered for COVID-19 since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2,which can be classified into early, medium, and long-term complications. However, late complications can be presentafter recovery from acute COVID-19 illness. The present study aims to comprehensively review the available evidenceof late complications related to COVID-19.

A search was conducted, using keywords, through electronicdatabases, which included Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Embase up to August 29, 2022. Study selection wasperformed according to a strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviewsand Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist was followed, and studies were appraised using the National Institute of Health(NIH) quality assessment and risk of bias tool.

In total, 50 studies were included, and nine distinct COVID-19late complication categories were identified. A review of these studies revealed that neurologic and psychiatric (n=41),respiratory (n=27), musculoskeletal and rheumatologic (n=22), cardiovascular (n=9), and hepatic and gastrointestinal(n=6) complications were the most prevalent complications of long COVID-19.

Almost all human bodysystems are affected by late complications of COVID-19 with different severity and prevalence. Fatigue and some otherneuropsychiatric symptoms are the most common late complications among long COVID-19 patients. Respiratorysymptoms including dyspnea (during exercise), cough, and chest tightness were the next most prevalent long-termcomplications of COVID-19. Since these complications are persistent and late, being aware of the signs and symptomsis essential for the healthcare providers and patients.