Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, health experts have been struggling to understand why some individuals – even those with initially mild to moderate symptoms – continue to show symptoms long after the virus has disappeared. The phenomenon has been dubbed “long COVID” and those who suffer from it, long distance. So, how do you know if you are a long distance worker and have already fought an infection? According to a new study, most long-haul trucks have identified a major symptom. Keep reading – and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss out on these Clear signs that you’ve had the coronavirus.
63% of patients had fatigue, says research
The study involved 1,733 COVID-19 patients who were discharged from Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan, China, between January 7 and May 29, 2020, with an average age of 57 years. Of those surveyed, 76% of patients still suffered from at least one symptom six months after the initial infection. The research, published last week in The Lancet found that 63% of long haulers reported the persistent symptom of fatigue or muscle weakness. The second most common symptom? Difficulty sleeping, with 26 reporting difficulties sleeping. In addition, almost a quarter of patients revealed that they suffered from anxiety or depression.
“Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, we are just beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients’ health,” explained the study’s leader, Dr. Bin Cao, of the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and the Capital Medical University, in a declaration.
“Our analysis indicates that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after hospital discharge and highlights the need for post-discharge care, especially for those with severe infections. Our work also highlights the importance of driving longer follow-up studies in larger populations in order to understand the full spectrum of effects that Covid-19 can have on people. “
Another interesting finding from the study is that the researchers observed a decline in antibodies to the virus among patients, revealing that they dropped by more than half (52.5%) after six months in 94 patients whose immune response was tested at the peak of infection.
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How to survive this pandemic
As for you, follow Dr. Anthony Fauci’s fundamentals and help stop this wave, no matter where you live – use a face mask, social distance, avoid large crowds, do not go home with people you are not sheltering (especially in bars), practice good hand hygiene, be vaccinated when it is available to you and to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 places you’re most likely to reach COVID.