BACKGROUND: Post-covid syndrome causes wide range of physiological disabilities. The impact on social well-being highlights importance of the same.

AIM: To find the Clinical profile, predictors of symptom persistence and functional impairment in post-covid patients.

METHOD: Observational study of patients who attended post-covid clinic Govt. Medical College, Kottayam from June-August2021 with persisting respiratory symptoms after becoming COVID-19 negative. Patients were followed up at 1,3 months. Clinical and radiological factors were assessed. A CT thorax was taken in patients with >4 %desaturation on 6minute walk test(6MWT) at 1 month. Initial clinical, radiological factors of symptomatic patients at 3 months were analysed.

RESULT: In 342 patients,7 died,9 lost followup,70%-males,21%-category C,19% required ICU admission. 29% were symptomatic at 3 months, cough was the most common symptom. Though PFT showed restriction, only 7% had desaturation on 6MWT at 3months.Significant association was found between persistence of symptoms at 3months and comorbidity(p0.001),initial symptoms(p0.001),covid category, dyspnea (p0.001)or fever(p0.001) during initial illness hospital admission, ICU admission (p0.001),oxygen requirement and also between desaturation on 6MWT at 3 months and comorbidities (p0.005),number of symptoms(p0.001),dyspnea, hemoptysis(p0.001),CXR involvement. Alternative diagnosis was obtained in 8 patients, which included treatment related complication, malignancy and PAH.

CONCLUSION: Most of the persistent symptomatic had severe disease during acute phase. Factors during initial phase of illness can predict persistence of symptoms. Long term studies are required to assess their clinical evolution.