Long-term health-related quality of life issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic

The factors shaping the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are more pronounced, more widespread, and longer lasting than just the somatic effects of infection, with serious deterioration in people's actual and perceived quality of life (QoL). The COVID-19 pandemic has shown great potential to directly impact on the QoL of the general population, causing psychological distress, disrupting full participation in daily life and reducing the sense of connection to society. The aim of this review was to assess the impact of Long-COVID and related factors on the population's QoL, its physical, emotional and social aspects. High levels of fatigue after COVID-19 reduce work capacity, account for the loss of social ties, and increase depressive symptoms and lead to lower long-term QoL. Studies have shown that QoL is significantly lower in women than in men, and male gender is one of the risk factors for a severe course of COVID-19. Deterioration in health-related CV throughout the pandemic was noted in children and adolescents, who were particularly vulnerable to social distancing. Vaccination against COVID-19 was a significant predictor of higher physical QoL. The majority of those who underwent medical rehabilitation also have a high level of physical functioning, although some patients continue to report some functional problems. Published scientific papers demonstrate a number of unresolved methodological and methodological issues in assessing changes in health-related QoL as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the high heterogeneity of studies, there is a need to develop approaches to reduce heterogeneity, use validated assessment tools, widely accepted questionnaires and specific follow-up timeframes. Standardized and long-term COVID-19 studies will undoubtedly be invaluable in understanding the epidemiology and impact of the burden of Long-COVID on health-related QoL.