Most symptoms in the Wuhan report were slightly more common among women, with 81 percent reporting at least one health problem, compared with 73 percent of men.
Reports of other respiratory diseases, such as the outbreak of SARS in 2003, another type of coronavirus, suggest that some Covid survivors may experience postoperative effects for months or years. Most SARS patients recovered physically, but researchers found that many a year later had ‘alarming levels of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic symptoms’.
In a commentary on the Lancet study, researchers from Italy write that 38 percent of SARS survivors reduced the oxygen flow from their lungs 15 years later, adding that ‘evidence of previous coronavirus outbreaks suggests that some of lung damage may continue. ‘
Although people who have been admitted to the hospital for Covid may experience more severe or long-term physical problems, increasing evidence shows that even people who have never been admitted to the hospital may have symptoms. Many such patients seek out the Covid clinics that originate in the United States.
One recent survey by a patient-led research team involved 3,762 participants, mostly women, from 56 countries – most of whom were not admitted to hospital. Nearly two-thirds reported symptoms for at least six months, most of whom said they were tired and that their symptoms worsened after physical or mental exertion, according to the report, which was not assessed by the peer. More than half of those with symptoms said they experience ‘cognitive dysfunction’ that includes brain fog or difficulty thinking or concentrating.
Dr. Peluso noted that since the Wuhan patients were admitted to hospital in the first half of 2020, most have not been treated with recently treated treatments such as remdesivir or dexamethasone, so it is unclear whether people receiving such treatments are the same degree of prolonged treatment. term complications.
Still, he and other doctors said the portrait of the study of persistent symptoms is true. Dr Ferrante said that in the recovery program to the Covid patient where he treats patients, ‘almost everyone I see has impairment in physical or cognitive function or both.’
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