Survival After Severe COVID-19: Long-Term Outcomes of Patients Admitted to an Intensive Care Unit

Understanding the long-term sequelae of severe COVID-19 remains limited, particularly in the United States. To examine long-term outcomes of patients who required intensive care unit (ICU) admission for severe COVID-19. This is a prospective cohort study of patients who had severe COVID-19 requiring ICU admission in a two-hospital academic health system in Southern California. Anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, ability to participate in social activities, pain interference, and cognitive function were not significantly different from the U.S. general population, but physical function (44.2, SD 11.0) was worse. PROPr mean score of 0.46 (SD 0.30, range −0.02 to 0.96 [<0 is worse than dead and 1 represents perfect health]) was slightly lower than the U.S. general population, with an even distribution across the continuum. Poor PROPr was associated with chronic medical conditions and receipt of life-sustaining treatments, but not demographics or social vulnerability. PTSD was suspected in 20% and loneliness in 29% of patients. Ninety-eight percent of patients were glad they received life-saving treatment. Most patients who survive severe COVID-19 achieve positive outcomes, with health scores similar to the general population at 6 months post-discharge. However, there is marked heterogeneity in outcomes with a substantial minority reporting severely compromised health.