AFP :
More than three quarters of people hospitalized with Covid-19 still suffered from at least one symptom after six months, according to a study published Saturday that scientists said shows the need for further investigation into lingering coronavirus effects.
The research, which was published in the Lancet medical journal and involved hundreds of patients in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is among the few to trace the long-term symptoms of Covid-19 infection.
It found that fatigue or muscle weakness were the most common symptoms, while people also reported sleeping difficulties.
“Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, we are only beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients’ health,” said lead author Bin Cao, of the National Center for Respiratory Medicine.
The professor said the research highlighted the need for ongoing care for patients after they have been discharged from hospital, particularly those who have had severe infections.
“Our work also underscores 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.
The World Health Organization has said the virus poses a risk for some people of serious ongoing effects-even among young, otherwise healthy people who were not hospitalized.
The new study included 1,733 Covid-19 patients discharged from Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan between January and May last year.
Patients, who had an average age of 57, were visited between June and September and answered questions on their symptoms and health-related quality of life.
Researchers also conducted physical examinations and lab tests.
Also read – China to provide Covid-19 vaccines free of charge
More than three quarters of people hospitalized with Covid-19 still suffered from at least one symptom after six months, according to a study published Saturday that scientists said shows the need for further investigation into lingering coronavirus effects.
The research, which was published in the Lancet medical journal and involved hundreds of patients in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is among the few to trace the long-term symptoms of Covid-19 infection.
It found that fatigue or muscle weakness were the most common symptoms, while people also reported sleeping difficulties.
“Because Covid-19 is such a new disease, we are only beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients’ health,” said lead author Bin Cao, of the National Center for Respiratory Medicine.
The professor said the research highlighted the need for ongoing care for patients after they have been discharged from hospital, particularly those who have had severe infections.
“Our work also underscores 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.
The World Health Organization has said the virus poses a risk for some people of serious ongoing effects-even among young, otherwise healthy people who were not hospitalized.
The new study included 1,733 Covid-19 patients discharged from Jinyintan Hospital in Wuhan between January and May last year.
Patients, who had an average age of 57, were visited between June and September and answered questions on their symptoms and health-related quality of life.
Researchers also conducted physical examinations and lab tests.
Also read – China to provide Covid-19 vaccines free of charge
