Six months after hospitalization for COVID-19, 76% of patients report symptoms

Six months after hospitalization for COVID-19, 76% of patients report symptoms

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More than three-quarters of COVID-19 patients still exhibit at least one continuous symptom, most commonly fatigue and muscle weakness, six months after they start showing symptoms, a new cohort study published in The Lancet medical newspaper on Friday found.
The study looked at the long-term effects of COVID-19 on 1,733 hospitalized patients in Wuhan, China, which was the first epicenter of the disease.

During the study, all patients underwent face-to-face interviews to assess their symptoms and health-related quality of life, as well as physical examinations, laboratory tests and a six-minute walk test to assess patients’ resistance levels. .

In addition, 390 patients underwent other tests, including an assessment of lung function, and 94 patients whose blood antibody levels were recorded at the height of the infection as part of another study received a follow-up test.

He found that of the 76% of patients who experienced at least one continued symptom, 63% experienced fatigue or muscle weakness, 26% had trouble sleeping, 23% reported anxiety or depression.

The study also found that patients who were seriously ill during their hospitalization were more likely to have impaired lung function and abnormalities detected on chest images six months later, a possible indication of permanent organ damage.

According to the data, 56% of patients who required intubation had decreased oxygen flow from their lungs into the bloodstream and 29% of previously intubated patients had difficulty with the six-minute walk test.

In addition, 94 patients whose immune response was tested at the peak of their infection saw the levels of neutralizing antibodies in their blood drop by 52.5%, raising concerns that reinfection may not only be possible by mutating the virus strain, but that patients could also be reinfected with the same tension they had previously overcome.

The study also found that kidney problems can also arise after COVID-19 infection, with 13% of patients whose kidney function was normal during hospitalization, seeing reduced kidney function six months later.

“Since COVID-19 is such a new disease, we are just beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients’ health,” said Professor Bin Cao, of the National Center for Respiratory Medicine at the China-Friendship Capital and Hospital- Japan Medical University.

“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 who experience severe infections,” said Prof. Dog.

“Our work also highlights the importance of conducting longer follow-up studies in larger populations, in order to understand the full spectrum of effects that COVID-19 can have on people,” he added.

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