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More than half of COVID patients suffer long COVID symptoms, suggests study

More than half of COVID patients suffer long COVID symptoms
A study from Osaka Metropolitan University found that more than half of COVID-19 patients still had residual symptoms, even close to a year afterwards. Symptoms such as fatigue, abnormalities in senses of taste and smell, hair loss, and sleep disorders persisted long after contracting COVID-19, regardless of the severity of the initial infection. Credit: Osaka Metropolitan University

Various long-term effects have been found to occur after infection by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and the reality of these lingering symptoms remains unknown. These unknown factors continue to contribute to a general lack of understanding and social unease.

A research group led by Dr. Waki Imoto from the Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine conducted a study at five Osaka hospitals. The survey looked at the long-term aftereffects for 285 diagnosed with or hospitalized for COVID-19 in 2020.

"At the beginning of 2021, we started research on the aftereffects of COVID-19 through a specialized outpatient clinic that treats people suffering from the aftereffects. We hope that this research will help people understand the aftereffects of COVID-19," said Dr. Imoto.

The results of the survey showed that more than half of the respondents experienced long-term aftereffects, even one year after recovering from their initial COVID-19. The researchers revealed that aftereffects, including fatigue, abnormalities in taste and sense of smell, , and sleep disorders may persist long after recovering from COVID-19, regardless of the initial infection's severity.

Even , people who are vaccinated, and people who have been previously infected—who are less likely to become severely ill—can still experience these residual aftereffects, making it necessary to continue treating all COVID-19 seriously.

The research results were published online in Scientific Reports on December 27, 2022.

More information: Waki Imoto et al, A cross-sectional, multicenter survey of the prevalence and risk factors for Long COVID, Scientific Reports (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25398-6

Journal information: Scientific Reports
Provided by Osaka Metropolitan University
Citation: More than half of COVID patients suffer long COVID symptoms, suggests study (2023, February 24) retrieved 29 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-02-covid-patients-symptoms.html
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