More than 75 percent of coronavirus patients have at least one symptom six months after becoming ill, a new study suggests.
Researchers found that the most common symptom in coronavirus patients was fatigue and muscle weakness, reported in at least two-thirds of patients.
In addition, of the approximately 400 patients tested for lung function, more than half who required ventilation had severe scores six months beforehand – which could indicate permanent organ damage.
In addition, the antibody levels tested in 100 patients dropped by more than half during follow-up, raising questions about the potential, according to the team at Jin Yin-tan Hospital at Wuhan Research Center for Communicable Disease Diagnosis and Treatment in China. of reinfection.
A new study from Jin Yin-tan Hospital in China found that more than 75% of patients reported at least one symptom six months later, with the most common being fatigue and muscle weakness at 63%. Pictured: Dr. Thomas Yadegar monitors Mindy Cross’s vital signs while her husband Dr. Neil Hecht (right) in a bed next to her at the Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center in Tarzana, California, January 2021
Of the 100 patients tested for antibody levels, most had levels cut in half, raising questions about the possibility of reinfection (above)
For the study, published in The Lancet, the team looked at 1,733 COVID-19 patients who were discharged from Jin Yin-tan Hospital between January 7 and May 29.
They were followed from June 16 to September 3 with a median of 186 days from onset of symptoms.
Patients were interviewed in person using questionnaires evaluating their symptoms and their health-related quality of life.
In addition, they received a physical examination, had laboratory blood tests, and had to take a six-minute walk test to measure endurance.
Overall, 76 percent of patients – more than 1,200 – reported at least one symptom at follow-up.
The results showed that the most common symptom that persists was fatigue or muscle weakness, which was found in 63 percent of patients six months later.
The next most common long-term symptom was trouble sleeping, reported in 26 percent of patients.
Another 23 percent said they experienced anxiety or depression long after they were diagnosed with COVID-19.
The next most commonly reported symptoms were hair loss and taste disturbance, seen in 22 percent and 11 percent of patients, respectively.
Other symptoms reported – less than 10 percent – were palpitations, joint pain, loss of appetite, taste disturbance and dizziness.
Researchers also found that patients who had more serious illness when they were hospitalized had decreased lung function.
Of the 349 patients who completed a lung function test, 56 percent of those who required ventilation had the most severe scores on a scale of one to six.
Along with chest imaging abnormalities, decreased lung function may indicate permanent organ damage.
This was not only seen in the lungs. About 13 percent of patients with normal kidney function at hospital admission had a reduction during follow-up.
During the six-minute walk test, one third of those requiring mechanical ventilation walked less than the lower limit of the normal range.
Finally, researchers looked at levels of neutralizing antibodies in 94 patients tested at the peak of infection.
The results showed that the levels dropped by more than half – 52.5 percent – after six months, raising concerns about the possibility of reinfection.
“Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, we are just beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patient health,” said Professor Bin Cao of the National Center for Respiratory Medicine at Chin-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing. , the Press Association said.
“Our analysis indicates that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after leaving the hospital, and highlights the need for post-discharge care, especially for those who have severe infections.
“Our work also underscores the importance of longer follow-up studies in larger populations to understand the full spectrum of effects Covid-19 can have on humans.”