Fatigue, shortness of breath and irritability are the most common
[Operation “epidemic” in international war]
Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, April 28th (internship) Reporter Zhang Jiaxin) According to a new study presented at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Lisbon, Portugal, from 23 to 26, 6 out of 10 patients with new coronary pneumonia still have at least one symptom a year later.
Luxembourg researchers also found that symptoms of Covid-19 did not go away after 15 weeks and could persist for at least a year.
An estimated 25% to 40% of people with Covid-19 experience “long-term Covid-19” symptoms that can affect multiple organs, including mental health issues. However, most of the previous data was based on patients hospitalized with Covid-19, and it was unclear how it would apply more broadly to more Covid-19 patients.
To improve understanding, Aureli Fisher of the Luxembourg Institute of Health and colleagues surveyed 289 COVID-19 patients for a year and divided them into groups based on the severity of their initial infection. Three groups: asymptomatic, mild and moderate or severe COVID-19 patients. The mean age of these participants (50.2% female) was 40.2 years. The researchers asked them to fill out three questionnaires to find out whether they experienced 64 common “long-term COVID-19” symptoms, sleep quality, and the impact of respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea on quality of life.
The study found that 59.5 percent of participants had at least one “long-term COVID-19” symptom a year after their first infection, the most common of which were fatigue, shortness of breath and irritability. A third (34.3%) felt fatigued after a year, 12.9% said respiratory symptoms affected their quality of life, and more than half (54.2%) had persistent sleep problems.
Participants with moderate or severe Covid-19 were twice as likely to develop at least one symptom a year later than those who were asymptomatic after initial infection. Patients with moderate or severe Covid-19 also experienced more sleep problems a year later than asymptomatic patients, 63.8% and 38.6%, respectively.
Furthermore, compared with asymptomatic patients, patients with mild acute COVID-19 were more likely to have at least one symptom and sleep problems, but less than those with moderate or severe acute illness . One in seven participants (14.2%) said they could not imagine coping with their symptoms long-term.
The study data also showed that the persistence of symptoms was not associated with pandemic waves. Symptoms of Covid-19 have not resolved after 15 weeks and may still be present a year after the first infection.
Fisher said: “This shows that even a year after infection, ‘long-term Covid-19’ can still have a large impact on quality of life. In general, the more severe the disease, the more likely the patient is Persistent symptoms.”
This research will help raise awareness of the needs of patients with “long-term Covid-19” and help develop health strategies for them.