An investigative study of persistent symptoms and menstrual abnormalities in female students infected with COVID-19 at a university in Chongqing, China

In order to investigate the general conditions of female students infected with COVID-19 (2019 Novel Coronavirus) in a college in Chongqing, China, and the impacts of persistent symptoms on female menstruation, we conducted a questionnaire survey among female students in a college in Chongqing from February 1 to 28, 2022. We collect information from female students at a university in Chongqing after the first wave of COVID-19 infections following the loosened epidemic policies, including general information (age, height, weight, smoking and alcohol consumption history, medical history, and coronavirus vaccination states), general conditions of coronavirus infection, persistent symptoms after infection, and menstrual conditions (menstrual flow, menstrual cycle, menstrual duration, menstrual blood characteristics, dysmenorrhea, dysmenorrhea duration, and physical discomfort). SPSS26.0 statistical software was used to analyze menstrual conditions using the chi-square and rank-sum tests. The results showed that among the persistent symptoms after COVID-19 infection, the proportion of female students at a university in Chongqing who had dyspnea, cough, and chest tightness was 63.64%, generalized fatigue was 56.82%, and neurological and digestive symptoms were 55%. After infection, students with prolonged menstrual cycles significantly increased (p < 0.05), those with regular menstrual flow significantly decreased (p < 0.05), yet physical discomfort during menstruation significantly reduced (p < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences between menstrual blood characteristics, menstrual duration, dysmenorrhea, and dysmenorrhea duration (p > 0.05) before and after infection. This study found that the persistent symptoms of COVID-19 infection include dyspnea, cough, chest tightness, generalized fatigue, and neurological and digestive symptoms. They caused changes in some menstrual conditions, such as menstrual cycle, menstrual flow, and physical discomfort. But whether there are long-term effects remains to be determined and further research is needed.