Perceived fatigue and functional status after mild symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19

The aim of the present study was to assess functional performance and perceived fatigue post-COVID-19 in asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic patients. A cross-sectional prospective study was conducted of 1448 individuals who were evaluated for perceived fatigue, functional capacity, handgrip strength, physical activity level, pain and dyspnea. IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid serology results and self-declared symptoms were used to classify patients into three study groups: SARS-CoV-2 seronegative, asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 seropositive and mild infection SARS-CoV-2 seropositive. Participants with a history of moderate or severe COVID-19 were excluded from the analysis. Chi-square test and Kruskal Wallis were used to test for associations between variables. Poisson regression with robust variance was performed for perceived fatigue outcome. Statistical significance was defined as p < 0.05. Measurements for physical performance, body pain or dyspnea between the three study groups were similar. However, a significant difference was observed in reported fatigue between the study groups. Poisson crude and adjusted models confirmed an association between SARS-CoV-2 exposure and presence of perceived fatigue among the asymptomatic and symptomatic mild COVID-19 groups (PR = 1.33 [95%CI:1.09,1.61], P = 0.004 and PR = 1.26 [95%CI:1.03,1.53], P = 0.026), respectively. Upon review, although seropositive SARS-CoV-2 individuals presented a higher prevalence of perceived fatigue, their physical performance was equal to that of the seronegative group.