Impact of Diet on Physical and Mental Health Consequences of Covid-19 Patients in Bangladesh - Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is the world’s worst health crisis since World War II. Fatigue, cough, dyspnea, chest pain, altered smell and taste, and cognitive impairment are among the first documented chronic symptoms of COVID-19. Research shows that isolation and many other enforced limits exacerbate psychological suffering, including depression and anxiety symptoms. When a novel disease causes severe symptoms or mortality, a lack of understanding can lead to stereotyping and discrimination of people who have it. Boosting the immune system by taking nutritious food in the unavailability of medicine is still the best way to control the pandemic. This study examined the persistent symptoms, mental health outcomes, and social consequences after 90 days of being tested positive for covid-19. Besides, it assessed the influence of disease days’ diet on persistent Symptoms and mental health outcomes.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 200 COVID-19-affected people was conducted (69.5% male; mean age = 38.36±10.19; age range = 20 to 60 years). Information was collected via a phone-to-phone interview using a predesigned structured questionnaire. Questions included basic patient demographics, persistent symptoms, PHQ-9 tools to assess depression, a 5-item perceived discrimination scale previously used to determine HIV patients’ discrimination, and the patient’s dietary pattern during disease days.
Result: According to this study, the common persistent symptoms among the participants are fatigue (69.50%), dyspnea (40.50%), and alopecia (35.5%). While 48.50 % of the patients have memory impairment, 34.50% have difficulty concentrating. Furthermore, 17.50% of people have eating disorders, and 36.50% have sleep disturbances. Our findings showed that 71 patients (35.5%) had moderate or severe depression. More female participants (42.6%) have depression than male participants (32.4%). Suffering from persistent symptoms, eating disorders, and sleep disturbances are more common among women than men. Besides, 18.50% of the participants faced severe discrimination by their community. Moreover, 61.5% of patients suffering from depression never ate other fruits except for citrus fruits. Participants who did not take other fruits regularly are suffering from fatigue (100%), Cough (61.5%), and also having difficulty completing their daily tasks (23.1%). Participants who had vegetables regularly; most of them are free from cough (71.4%), dyspnea (62.3%), and Chest distress (81.7%). Sleeping disruption (66.7%) and chest distress (48.8 %) were frequent among those who had never had eggs or milk.
Conclusions: According to this study, survivors of COVID-19 experience fatigue, dizziness, and alopecia more often. The occurrence of depression and being victimized by the community is common among covid-19 affected patients. Diet patterns have a significant impact on persistent symptoms and mental health outcomes.