Study says more than half of people with Covid experience sequelae within 6 months

More than half of 236 million people have been diagnosed COVID-19 Around the world since December 2019 she is expected to show symptoms after covid Up to six months after recovery, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine in the US. Publish the research in a journalgamma“.

The research team said governments, health organizations and public health professionals should prepare for the large number of Covid-19 survivors who will need care for a variety of psychological and physical symptoms.

While sick, many Covid-19 patients experience symptoms such as fatigue, difficulty breathing, chest pain, joint pain, and loss of taste or smell.

To better understand the short- and long-term health effects of the virus, researchers examined global studies that included non-immunized patients who had recovered from Covid-19.

According to the findings, adults, as well as children, can suffer from various health problems for six months or more after recovery from Covid-19.

Researchers conducted a systematic review of 57 reports that included data from 250,351 unvaccinated adults and children diagnosed with Covid-19 from December 2019 to March 2021.

Of those studied, 79% were hospitalized and the majority of patients (79%) lived in high-income countries. The mean age of patients was 54 years, and most individuals (56%) were male.

The researchers looked at the health of post-Covid patients over three periods: one month (short term), two to five months (medium), and six months or more (long term).

According to the findings, the survivors suffered from a number of remaining health issues associated with Covid-19.

These complications usually affect the patient’s general health, movement, or organs. Overall, one in two survivors has had prolonged Covid-19 manifestations.

Rates remained roughly constant from one to six months or more after the initial illness.

Post covid symptoms

The researchers noted several trends among survivors, such as:

Public interest: More than half of the patients reported weight loss, fatigue, fever or pain.

Mobility: One in five survivors experienced a decrease in mobility.

Nervous fears: Nearly one in four survivors had difficulty concentrating.

Mental health disorders: Nearly one in three patients has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.

Pulmonary abnormalities: Six out of ten survivors have chest imaging abnormalities and more than a quarter of patients have difficulty breathing.

Cardiovascular problems: Chest pain and palpitations were among the most commonly reported conditions.

skin diseases: Nearly one in five patients suffers from hair loss or a rash.

Digestive problems: Stomach upset, poor appetite, diarrhea and vomiting are among the commonly reported conditions.

“These findings confirm what many healthcare professionals and Covid-19 survivors have emphasized, namely that the adverse effects of Covid-19 can persist,” said co-author Vernon Chinchelli, chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences, on the study.

While previous studies have looked at the prevalence of Long-Covid symptoms among patients, this study looked at a larger population, including people in high, middle and low income countries, and looked at many other symptoms. Therefore, we believe that our results are very robust, considering the available data,” said the researcher.

For Paddy Sentongo, assistant professor at the Penn State Center for Neuroengineering, and also a co-author on the study, “the burden of health problems for COVID-19 survivors is huge, including mental health disorders.”

The battle with Covid does not end with a cure for an acute infection. He said in the study that vaccination is our best ally to avoid infection with the Covid-19 virus and reduce the chance of contracting Covid for a long time, even in the case of an invasive infection.

The mechanisms by which Covid-19 causes persistent symptoms in survivors are not fully understood.

The study shows that these symptoms can result from a worsening immune system reaction caused by the virus, persistent infection, re-infection, or an increase in the production of autoantibodies (antibodies that target their own tissues).

The SARS-CoV-2 virus, the causative agent of Covid-19, can reach, enter and live in the nervous system. As a result, taste and smell disturbances, memory impairment, and decreased attention and concentration are commonly noted in some survivors.

Our study was not designed to confirm that Covid-19 is the only cause of these symptoms. It is plausible that symptoms reported by patients in some of the studies examined were caused by other causes, Sentongo said.

The health system is overburdened

According to the researchers, early intervention may be necessary to improve the quality of life for many Covid-19 survivors.

According to Ssentongo, in the coming years health professionals will likely see an influx of patients, who were otherwise healthy before Covid-19, with psychological and cognitive problems, such as depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder.

Based on these findings, the researchers said, health care providers should plan and appropriately allocate resources to effectively monitor and treat these conditions.

The research team notes that these long-term health conditions can cause an increased demand for medical care and overburden health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries.

They said the results of this study could help shape treatment plans to improve care for patients with Covid-19 and establish integrated, evidence-based clinical management for those affected.

“Because survivors may not have the energy or resources to go back and forth to healthcare providers, specialist clinics will be essential to efficiently and effectively manage long-term Covid patients,” Sentongo said.

“These clinics can reduce medical costs and improve access to care, especially in communities that have historically seen greater disparities in health care,” he said.