Introduction: The COVID-19 is a global challenge for health systems. Patients with COVID-19 experience varying degrees of severity from mild to severe or fatal disease, and 15-20% of cases develop severe disease. Severe cases require intensive care unit (ICU) admissions for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) management, and these patients requires longer period of hospitalization, up to 20 days. Most survivors of a hospital admission with COVID-19 are not fully recovered by five months, which influences their return to work. Objective: This study aimed to describe the frequency and main factors related to return to work among patients who survived a severe episode of COVID-19. It focuses on patients discharged from ICU during the period 2020 and 2021 to analyze the consequences of the disease in terms of return to work. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Patients who survived a severe episode of COVID-19, discharged from two ICU in Antioquia and Caquetá, Colombia, during 2020 and 2021. The instrument used was the WHO Disability Assessment Questionnaire (WHODAS 2.0), with additional questions proposed by the researchers to achieve the objectives of the study. Univariate and bivariate analysis was performed. Results: A total of 91.87% returned to work after a severe episode of COVID 19, 65.5% returned to work within one month after discharge from the ICU. 75.61% patients reported comorbidities related to COVID-19. The factors related to return to work was the time of hospitalization and the rehabilitation program (p = 0.013). Regarding the degree of disability, the average WHODAS scores were higher in those who did not return to work (p = 0.013). (Higher scores are higher degree of disability).
