The largest study of its kind published Friday, January 7, 2021 in the medical journal The Lancet found 76% of Wuhan patients suffer from symptoms of COVID after they were discharged from the hospital.
The study of more than 1,700 patients treated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the original epicenter of the pandemic, indicates even people who recovered from COVID-19 suffer lasting health impacts from the virus.
The findings indicate patients continued to experience fatigue, sleep difficulties, depression, pain, anxiety, brain fog, joint pain, chest pain, headache and lung damage. The study indicates while many persons with COVID-19 recover and return to pre-illness health, some patients even those without a history of hospitalization can experience long-term health impacts.
Recently, the CDC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention created a list of some of the persistent symptoms patients are experiencing post illness. Because these patients do not all have the same symptoms, everyone needs different post illness care.
Some researchers believe the long-term impacts of COVID-19 could become yet another public health crisis. In fact, last December the National Institutes of Health sponsored a meeting to discuss the long-term symptoms to shed light on millions of people around the world affected by lingering symptoms months after the disease.
While more study is needed to understand the lasting impacts of COVID-19, the study is important for both providers and patients to know the potential impacts so doctors can more accurately determine which treatments will be most effective in treating longhaul symptoms, and patients communicate their symptoms with their provider.
While it is still unclear why patients continue to experience lingering symptoms, Dr. Paez shares, "One theory is the immune system continues to react after the infection has subsided causing these lingering symptoms. Another theory is the virus remains in the body in some small form causing the continued symptoms. However, researchers are still learning more about this medical mystery."
Dr. Saranita adds, "It is important for patients who have experienced COVID-19 to monitor their post illness symptoms and be sure to communicate lingering symptoms with their providers. The sooner we can address symptoms, the sooner we can restore quality of life for our patients."
