Post-COVID after hospitalization of COVID-19 patients during the pandemic - monocentric retrospective study

<bold>Introduction:</bold> The long-term consequences of COVID are still an overlooked reality of post-pandemic period. The aim is to specify in detail the pts who subsequently developed post-COVID after discharge from hospital. <bold>Material:</bold> Retrospective study of COVID in-patients(pts)in an university hospital covering 1million area. All consecutive pts with a 1st hospitalization were included, regardless of age, sex, or comorbidities. <bold>Results:</bold> From 3,880 cases (53%male,54%non-smokers,64years, BMI28) 579(14.9%) died in hospital and 3,301(85.1%)were discharged home or to nursing home.267(8.1% of discharged)were diagnosed with post-COVID disability after >3 months. Risk factors for the development of post-COVID included males, non-smokers,↑BMI,asthma, immunosuppression and more severe condition at admission. Post-COVID disability lasted at least 6 months,10 patients >24 months. Respiratory symptoms were the predominant symptom in post-COVIDpts(55%). Extra-pulmonary symptoms reported by42%,chronic fatigue by38% of pts with post-COVID. Neurological changes observed in22% of post-COVIDpts.29%of pts had objective lung damage despite being asymptomatic. Hospitalized for acute COVID in the omicron phase of the pandemic were less likely to have post-COVID and less likely to have extrapulmonary symptoms. <bold>Conclusion:</bold> Post-COVID disability developed in 8% of pts discharged from the hospital after severe COVID. The risk factors for post-COVID were male biological sex, overweight, non-smoking, asthma, immunosuppression,↑severe course of the acute phase of COVID. Some post-COVID cases lasted >24months. Hospitalised during the omicron period are less frequently affected post-COVID.