A new Israeli study released Tuesday indicates that 95 percent of recovered COVID-19 patients do not suffer any irreversible respiratory or cardiac damage, helping to answer one of the main questions about the disease that has infected more than 100 million people worldwide. world.
The study of 166 recovered COVID-19 patients, conducted by the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem, found that 94 percent still reported symptoms three months later, notably shortness of breath, although most symptoms disappeared within six months.
“We can report with caution that, based on our study, most symptoms passed within three to six months,” said Professor Gabriel Izbicki, director of the Pulmonary Institute at Shaare Zedek.
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“Almost all of the patients we studied after six months reported a marked improvement in their general condition and the test results reflected this. We found that regular physical activity three to four times a week directly contributed to helping the patient recover much faster, ”he said.
Illustrative: A member of the medical team Shaare Zedek receives a coronavirus patient in Jerusalem on April 16, 2020. (Nati Shohat / Flash90)
The data showed that, three months after recovery, the most prevalent lasting symptom was shortness of breath, found in 57% of patients.
In addition, 55% of patients reported general weakness, 25% reported prolonged cough and 18% reported chest pain. Another 11% still complained of loss of taste and smell, while 8% exhibited neurological symptoms such as dizziness or weakness in the limbs.
The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, included patients aged 18 to 86 years in mild, moderate and severe conditions.
