Two years following infection with covid-19, around 55% of those who were hospitalized still have at least one symptom of the disease, according to a study published in The Lancet.
The research, carried out at the Jin Yin-tan Hospital in Wuhan (China), included 1,192 patients who needed hospital treatment between January and May 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
The experts followed their evolution six months, one year and two years following discharge and found that their mental and physical health improved over time, regardless of the severity of the disease.
55% reported the presence of at least one symptom of covid-19 following two years, compared to 68% detected following six months.
The study suggests that, despite the physical and psychological progress they make, the health status and quality of life of patients who have had the disease tend to be worse than that of the general population.
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This situation greatly affects those hospitalized with long-term covid, who usually still have at least one symptom two years following discharge, such as fatigue, shortness of breath and sleep disturbances.
“Our findings indicate that more than two years are needed for a certain proportion of hospitalized patients who survived covid to fully recover,” explains Bin Cao, lead author of this work and professor at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital (China) in a statement. .
In light of these results, he says, “it is clear that there is a need to offer ongoing support” to these survivors and “understand how vaccines, new treatments and variants affect long-term health.”
52% of participants in this study – with a mean age of 57 years at discharge – reported that fatigue or muscle weakness were the most common symptoms at six months, compared to 30% at two years.
Likewise, 89%, regardless of its severity, resumed their work activity following two years, highlights the report, which cites other post-Covid symptoms such as joint pain, palpitations, dizziness and headaches.
Regarding quality of life, 23% reported the presence of “pain or discomfort” in the questionnaires, while 12% reported symptoms of “anxiety or depression”.
Long-term COVID patients also reported mobility problems (5%) and a drop in activity levels (4%).
