{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,20]],"date-time":"2026-02-20T18:33:00Z","timestamp":1771612380220,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]],"date-time":"2023-09-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1693872000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Government of Nepal"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Nepal has been devastated by an unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, affecting people emotionally, physically, and socially, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Approximately 10% of COVID-19 affected people have symptoms that last more than 3\u20134 weeks and experience numerous symptoms causing an impact on everyday functioning, social, and cognitive function. Thus, it is vital to know about the recovered patient\u2019s health status and undertake rigorous examinations to detect and treat infections. Hence, this study aims to assess the health status of COVID-19 post-recovery patients in Nepal.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Method<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A descriptive cross-sectional mixed-method study was conducted in all seven provinces of Nepal. A total of 552 interviews were conducted for the quantitative study, and 25 in-depth interviews were conducted for the qualitative study among above 18 years COVID-19-recovered patients. The data was gathered over the phone through the purposive sampling method The results of a descriptive and thematic analysis were interpreted.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Finding<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The majority (more than 80%) of the recovered patients could routinely perform household duties, activities outside the home, and financial job accounting. However, a few of them required assistance in carrying out all of those tasks. Prior and then after COVID-19 infection, smoking habits reduced by about one-tenth and alcohol intake decreased by a twelve percent. A qualitative finding revealed that the majority of COVID-19 symptomatic patients experienced a variety of physical symptoms such as fever, headache, body pain, fatigue, tiredness, sore throat, cough, loss of taste, loss of smell, sneezing, loss of appetite, and difficulty breathing, while others felt completely fine after being recovered. Furthermore, there was no variation in the daily functional activities of the majority of the recovered patients, while a few were found conducting fewer activities than usual because they were concerned about their health. For social health, quantitative data indicated that more than half of the participants\u2019 social health was severely impacted. According to the IDI, the majority of the interviewees perceived society\u2019s ignorance and misbehavior. Family members were the most often solicited sources of support. Some participants got care and assistance, but the majority did not get affection or love from their relatives. Moreover, regarding mental health, 15 percent of participants had repeated disturbing and unwanted thoughts about COVID-19 after being recovered, 16 percent tried to avoid information on COVID-19 and 7 .7 percent of people had unfavorable ideas or sentiments about themselves. More than 16 percent of participants reported feeling some level of stress related to the workplace and home. While in-depth interviews participants revealed that COVID-infected patients who were asymptomatic didn\u2019t experience any emotional change in them but recovered patients who are symptomatic symptoms had anxiety and still being conscious of COVID-19 in fear of getting infected again Additionally, it was discovered that participants\u2019 mental health is influenced by ignorance of society, as well as by fake news posted to social media.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>COVID-19 infection has had an impact on physical, mental, and social well-being. Hence, to aid in the early recovery of COVID-19 patients, provision of evaluating and reporting the clinical features, early detection and management of long COVID case is needed from the local and provincial and central government of Nepal.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0290693","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]],"date-time":"2023-09-05T17:21:52Z","timestamp":1693934512000},"page":"e0290693","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Physical, mental and social status after COVID-19 recovery in Nepal: A mixed method study"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1401-939X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Sashi","family":"Silwal","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kristina","family":"Parajuli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Astha","family":"Acharya","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ajnish","family":"Ghimire","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Savita","family":"Pandey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8471-1253","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ashok","family":"Pandey","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anil","family":"Poudyal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bihungum","family":"Bista","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Pradip","family":"Gyanwali","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7176-7821","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Meghnath","family":"Dhimal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0290693.ref001","unstructured":"Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). [cited 14 Jan 2023]. https:\/\/www.who.int\/emergencies\/diseases\/novel-coronavirus-2019"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref002","unstructured":"COVID Live\u2014Coronavirus Statistics\u2014Worldometer. [cited 14 Jan 2023]. https:\/\/www.worldometers.info\/coronavirus\/"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref003","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"597808","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2021.597808","article-title":"How Well the Government of Nepal Is Responding to COVID-19? An Experience From a Resource-Limited Country to Confront Unprecedented Pandemic","volume":"9","author":"B Rayamajhee","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Public Heal"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref004","first-page":"355","article-title":"COVID-19 and Nepal: Identification of Critical Public Health Measures","volume":"58","author":"HC Neupane","year":"2020","journal-title":"JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref005","unstructured":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Post-COVID Conditions, www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/long-term-effects.html"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref006","first-page":"2021421","article-title":"Nepal\u2019s COVID-19 Crisis: A Global Call to Arms","volume":"92","author":"U Maskey","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Bio Medica Atenei Parm"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"384","DOI":"10.1002\/cpp.2477","article-title":"Posttraumatic stress symptoms of health care workers during the corona virus disease 2019","volume":"27","author":"Q Yin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Clin Psychol Psychother"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref008","first-page":"729","article-title":"Follow-up studies in COVID-19 recovered patients\u2014is it mandatory?","author":"V Balachandar","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref009","first-page":"7","article-title":"Prevalence of Functional Limitation in COVID-19 Recovered Patients Using the Post COVID-19 Functional Status Scale","volume":"59","author":"P Pant","year":"2021","journal-title":"JNMA J Nepal Med Assoc"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e31","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jinf.2020.12.022","article-title":"Post-COVID-19 functional status six-months after hospitalization","volume":"82","author":"M Taboada","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Infect"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1013","DOI":"10.1002\/jmv.26368","article-title":"Postdischarge symptoms and rehabilitation needs in survivors of COVID-19 infection: A cross-sectional evaluation","volume":"93","author":"SJ Halpin","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Med Virol"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1183\/13993003.02096-2020","article-title":"Low physical functioning and impaired performance of activities of daily life in COVID-19 patients who survived hospitalisation","volume":"56","author":"S Belli","year":"2020","journal-title":"Eur Respir J"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"316","DOI":"10.7326\/M20-5206","article-title":"Surviving COVID-19 After Hospital Discharge: Symptom, Functional, and Adverse Outcomes of Home Health Recipients","volume":"174","author":"KH Bowles","year":"2021","journal-title":"Ann Intern Med"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.3389\/fresc.2021.710410","article-title":"A Mixed Methods Study of Functioning and Rehabilitation Needs Following COVID-19","volume":"2","author":"T Backmann","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Rehabil Sci"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"603","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2020.12603","article-title":"Persistent Symptoms in Patients After Acute COVID-19","volume":"324","author":"B Saloner","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s12913-020-06001-y","article-title":"Persistent symptoms after Covid-19: qualitative study of 114 \u201clong Covid\u201d patients and draft quality principles for services","volume":"20","author":"E Ladds","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Health Serv Res"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"738","DOI":"10.1007\/s11606-020-06338-4","article-title":"Post-Discharge Health Status and Symptoms in Patients with Severe COVID-19","volume":"36","author":"H Weerahandi","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Gen Intern 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An Exploratory Study of Patients Over 60 Years of Age Assessed in a Post-acute Care Service","volume":"11","author":"D Janiri","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"782","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(20)30498-9","article-title":"Stigma during the COVID-19 pandemic","volume":"20","author":"S. Bagcchi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref023","first-page":"298","article-title":"Lived Experiences of COVID-19 Survivors in Nepal: A Phenomenological Analysis","volume":"17","author":"S Silwal","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Coll Med Sci"},{"key":"pone.0290693.ref024","first-page":"1","article-title":"Experiences of social stigma among patients tested positive for COVID-19 and their family members: a qualitative study","volume":"21","author":"CC Chew","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0290693","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]],"date-time":"2023-09-05T17:22:15Z","timestamp":1693934535000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0290693"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Rosemary","family":"Frey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]]},"references-count":24,"journal-issue":{"issue":"9","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0290693","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,9,5]]}}}