Clinical characteristics of healthcare workers with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms: A case series

@#This study was a case series of nine healthcare workers who were documented to have had prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 between April 1, 2020, and November 30, 2020. The majority were females and middle-aged (40–59 years old) with the following comorbid conditions: hypertension, bronchial asthma, and allergic rhinitis. Four healthcare workers directly handled COVID-19 patients. Seven healthcare workers were admitted during the acute phase of the illness, three of whom were diagnosed with COVID-19 Pneumonia, and one was readmitted due to persistent palpitations. Their presenting symptoms varied among the 9 cases, such as chills, fever, headache, cough, colds, sore throat, throat itchiness, loss of taste and smell, and myalgia. Prolonged symptoms were the following: cough, myalgia, easy fatigability, exertional dyspnea, shortness of breath, hair loss, and diarrhea. The duration of symptoms from onset to resolution ranges from 4.5 weeks to 30 weeks. All individuals with COVID-19, including healthcare workers, are susceptible to long-term COVID, which involves heterogenous symptoms that may last for varying durations.