Covid-19 symptoms linger for four months after hospitalisation – study

By Jarryd Neves.According to a research letter published in the Journal of Infection, most patients who were hospitalised for Covid-19 experienced symptoms for 111 days on average, after returning home. Fatigue and shortness of breath were the most common out of the symptoms experienced, says the Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (Cidrap), a centre within the University of Minnesota..Cidrap says that the research was compiled via a phone questionnaire, with 120 patients who were hospitalised between March 15 and April 14. Of those 120 Covid-19 patients, 96 were treated in the general ward, while 24 were in the Intensive Care Unit, requiring artificial ventilation..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.The most common symptoms according to the study are as follows:.Fatigue (55%)Shortness of breath (42%)Memory loss (34%)Lack of concentration (27%)Sleep disorders (31%).Cidrap reports that 20% of the patients surveyed experienced hair loss. Interestingly, the study could not find "statistically significant difference in symptoms between ward and ICU patients.".In both groups of patients, more individuals who spent time in the ICU reported "continued pain on health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) self-assessment EQ-5D-5L subtests, but there were no other differences. Mean EQ-5D score was 0.86, indicating relatively good QoL" says Cidrap..Read also: How world sees SA: Covid-19 patients freeze to death at Gauteng hospital, reports BBC.The average score on the EQ-VAS (a vertical visual scale which asks patients to indicate their overall health, ranging from 0 to 100) was 70,3% which the Journal of Infection says " indicates good health.".29% of the patients surveyed have said they walk slower than their counterparts, due to shortness of breath or having to slow down to catch their breath, says Cidrap..Prior to the participants being infected by Covid-19, nearly half (47%) were employed. Of that 47%, only 69% had returned to work at the time the survey was conducted. Again, the differences between patients who were in the ICU and general ward isn't "statistically significant" when it came to this..The study mentions that of the 39 patients who participated in sport or a physical activity prior to being hospitalised, 72% had resumed their activities, with 46% saying that they didn't exercise as vigorously as they did prior to being infected..According to Cidrap, the average age of those in the study was 63. Most were men, at 62,5%. With regards to underlying health problems, 46,7% suffered with high blood pressure, while 21,7% had diabetes..Read also: Covid-19 infection rate declines as SA numbers fall steadily.Initial symptoms when admitted to hospital included:.Shortness of breath: 73,3%Cough: 72,5%Diarrhoea: 24,2%Muscle pain: 15,8%Confusion: 5,8%.The study also found that the average hospital stay was around 11 days..Cidrap says that the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was deemed satisfactory by the study.

Covid-19 symptoms linger for four months after hospitalisation – study

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