Introduction: Despite the World Health Organization declaring COVID-19 no longer a public health emergency, reports of
long COVID persist globally, raising concerns about its impact on individuals.
Objective: This retrospective study aimed to explore the symptom experiences of individuals with long COVID-19 and
examine the relationship between those experiences and perceived negative health status in Thailand.
Methods: The study focused on individuals with moderate to severe COVID-19 infections. Between July 3, 2022 and December
1, 2022, we conducted telephone interviews with 86 individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 and received outpatient care
in Bangkok. The COVID-19 Yorkshire Rehabilitation Screening was utilized to measure symptom occurrence, duration, severity,
and health status on an 11-point numerical rating scale from 0 (none or excellent) to 10 (the worst). A Spearman rank correlation
was used to analyze the relationships between long COVID symptoms and negative perception of health status.
Results: Among the participants, 75.6% had long COVID, with a median of three symptoms lasting for a median duration of 5.6
months. Difficulties in performing daily activities were most common, reported by 50.8% of participants. The majority (80.0%)
experienced itching, headache, cognition, muscle pain, continence, and sleeping problem for 6 months. Loss of taste was the
most severe symptom, with a mean severity rating of 8.8. There were significant positive relations between a negative perception
of health status and multiple symptoms, symptom severity, functional disability, and additional symptoms.
Conclusion: Individuals with moderate to severe COVID-19 infection who experienced long COVID had poorer perceived health
status. To effectively manage and improve the health status of individuals with long COVID, nurses should provide follow-up care,
assess not only the occurrence of symptoms but also their duration and severity, and evaluate performance outcomes.