Nearly half of those recovering from coronavirus infection endure ‘long Covid’ symptoms, study finds

An analysis of data from 50 studies looking at 1.6 million people suggests that as much as 43% of those infected with the coronavirus experienced post-Covid conditions, pointing to the need for better diagnosis and care for “long Covid” patients.

Post-Covid conditions are clinically defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as mid- and long-term symptoms – also known as Long Covid – occurring in individuals after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The research, published this week in the Journal of Infectious Disease, assessed 23 symptoms reported across 36 of the studies and found that shortness of breath, sleep problems, and joint pain was widely reported by those who had recovered from the novel coronavirus infection.

Researchers say fatigue (23%) and memory problems (14%) were the most common symptoms of individuals experiencing post-Covid conditions.

While about 34% of non-hospitalised coronavirus patients report lingering post-Covid symptoms, scientists say this rate jumps to over 50% for hospitalised Covid patients.

“Long Covid is quite common overall and across geographic regions, sex and acute COVID-19 severity. Knowing this, providers should take proactive approaches such that their patients are well-supported when experiencing long-term health effects of Covid-19,” scientists wrote in the study.

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Source: The Independent, 21 April 2022