Difference of post COVID health complications among infection and reinfection patients: a comparative study

Background: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus emerged as a global pandemic in December 2019, leading to significant health concerns. As the pandemic progressed, the post-recovery manifestations in survivors became a growing issue. Therefore, this comparative study aimed to assess the post-COVID health complication difference between infection and reinfection patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the department of project and research, Dhaka Community Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, from December 2023 to December 2024. In this study, we included 244 patients who got their treatment from Dhaka Community Medical Hospital. Results: The study found that reinfection patients had higher percentages of complications, with pain reported in 15% of reinfection cases. Weakness was present in 33% of infection patients and 37% of reinfection patients. The mental health complications also seen in respondents like anxiety accounted for 30% of infection respondents and 19% of reinfection respondents. Depression was reported in 12% of infection cases and 7% of reinfection cases. Household factors like gender, BMI, religion, marital status, residence, living conditions, and smoking habits are significantly associated with both infection and reinfection patients. Conclusions: This study found that the occurrence of post-COVID complications among patients with infection and reinfection was significantly different. Gender, marital status, living conditions, and smoking habits were the significant factors associated with differences in post-COVID complications among patients with infection and reinfection.