The role of comorbidity in the development of Long-COVID

  • T.V. Chernii State Scientific Institution “Scientific and Practical Center of Preventive and Clinical Medicine” of the State Administration of Affairs, Kyiv, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0095-6091
  • V.I. Chernii State Scientific Institution “Scientific and Practical Center of Preventive and Clinical Medicine” of the State Administration of Affairs, Kyiv, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9885-9248
  • D.A. Fokina State Scientific Institution “Scientific and Practical Center of Preventive and Clinical Medicine” of the State Administration of Affairs, Kyiv, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1244-3792

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Post-COVID syndrome is a set of conditions that occur in patients after a coronavirus infection. To date, there remains great interest in identifying the relationships between the influence of concomitant diseases on the course of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the selection of a justified treatment regimen from the point of view of the pathogenesis of the formation of long-term consequences of the disease.

OBJECTIVE. To investigate the role of comorbidity in the development of Long-COVID, to study and analyze the results of treatment with a combination of Xavron, Tivorel and Xylate in patients with asthenic manifestations of Long-COVID.

MATERIALS AND METHODS. A clinical and neurological examination of 50 patients aged 47 to 76 years with a diagnosis of chronic cerebral ischemia and an asthenic syndrome that persisted for more than 3 months after a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection was carried out. All patients were treated according to a clinical protocol approved by the MOH of Ukraine. In addition to the main treatment, 20 patients received a 10-day course of infusions of a combination of the drugs Xavron in a dose of 30 mg No. 10, Tivorel 100.0 No. 5 and Xylate 200.0 No. 5 every other day. Efficacy was assessed before treatment, on the 5th and 10th day of treatment using the MMSE, DASS-21, FAS and MOND scales.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. A stable positive relationship was found between the number of CIRS-G comorbidity scores and the MOND score. A positive correlation coefficient between comorbidity and asthenic syndrome, assessed on the FAS scale, was also expressed – 0.699 (p<0.001). A somewhat weaker negative relationship was found between anxiety and the number of points on the CIRS-G scale – -0.474 (p=0.035). Assessment of depression and stress on the DASS-21 scale did not show a reliably significant correlation effect. After treatment, the severity of neurological symptoms, assessed by the MOND scale, decreased from 5.6±1.6 to 2.8±1 (p<0.01). Depression and anxiety scores on the DASS-21 scale decreased moderately from 4.9±3.6 to 2.8±1.5 (p<0.01) and from 6.3±2.3 to 4.3±1.5 (p<0.01), respectively. A more significant regression was observed on the stress scale – from 10.3±3.1 to 7.5±1.9 (p<0.01). The difference in the severity of fatigue from 28.8±4.1 to 20±1.2 was especially noticeable (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS. Asthenic syndrome, which is prevalent in the Long-COVID, directly depends on the background of chronic diseases. The combination of Xavron, Tivorel and Xylate is pathogenetically justified and safe in the treatment of patients with Long-COVID. The use of this combination leads to a reduction of asthenic syndrome, which, in turn, has a positive effect on the reduction of cognitive manifestations of Long-COVID in the form of “brain fog”.

Keywords: Long-COVID, comorbidity, neuropsychological study, chronic brain ischemia

References

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Published
2023-03-29
How to Cite
Chernii, T., Chernii, V., & Fokina, D. (2023). The role of comorbidity in the development of Long-COVID. Infusion & Chemotherapy, (1), 20-24. https://doi.org/10.32902/2663-0338-2023-1-20-24
Section
ORIGINAL STUDIES

Author Biographies

T.V. Chernii, State Scientific Institution “Scientific and Practical Center of Preventive and Clinical Medicine” of the State Administration of Affairs, Kyiv, Ukraine

Chernii Tetiana Volodymyrivna
Chief researcher
MD, professor.
5, Verkhnia st., Kyiv, 01014, Ukraine.
E-mail: tatiana.cherniy@gmail.com

V.I. Chernii, State Scientific Institution “Scientific and Practical Center of Preventive and Clinical Medicine” of the State Administration of Affairs, Kyiv, Ukraine

Chernii Volodymyr Illich
Chief researcher of the scientific department of minimally invasive surgery
Corresponding member of the NAMS of Ukraine, MD, professor.
5, Verkhnia st., Kyiv, 01014, Ukraine.

D.A. Fokina, State Scientific Institution “Scientific and Practical Center of Preventive and Clinical Medicine” of the State Administration of Affairs, Kyiv, Ukraine

Fokina Dariia Oleksandrivna
Neurologist
5, Verkhnia st., Kyiv, 01014, Ukraine.