[ad_1]
- Researchers are still studying the long-term symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infections.
- New data suggests that people can experience long-term symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infections 6 months or more after infection.
- Patients have reported symptoms of fatigue, dyspnea, and depression.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus and the resulting illness of COVID-19 have impacted people and health systems around the world.
Initial action by governments and communities focused on not overwhelming health systems and addressing the acute impact of infections in individuals.
Focusing on acute issues helped understand COVID-19 and helped countries through the initial response to the pandemic.
The long-term impact of COVID-19 is still unknown. Healthcare professionals look for long-term complications of SARS-CoV-2 infections, including symptoms that persist for months after a person’s initial infection with the virus.
A recent study published in the journal
Participants had persistent symptoms of breathing difficulty and fatigue, and assessment results indicated depression.
Understanding these symptoms in the long term will help treat those who suffer from them.
the
however,
Other terms for post-COVID-19 conditions include long-haul COVID, long-haul COVID, and late sequelae. Some of the common persistent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection include dyspnea, fatigue, cough, cognitive impairment, and pain.
Infectious disease expert Dr William Schaffner recalls the initial impact and stress on the health system caused by the pandemic.
He said Medical News Today that the onset of the pandemic was a period of rapid adjustment, where healthcare professionals had to learn how to manage patients with COVID-19.
He spoke of the challenges, such as stretching resources and the shortage of personal protective equipment.
While the care of patients with COVID-19 has improved over time, Dr. Schaffner notes that the long-term symptoms of COVID-19 and how SARS-CoV-2 causes these symptoms are areas that are still under consideration.
The prospective population-based cohort study conducted by researchers in Switzerland looked at the long-term symptoms of patients who had contracted SARS-CoV-2.
Participants resided in Canton Zurich, Switzerland, and had a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between February 27, 2020 and August 5, 2020. Other recruitment criteria included being at least 18 years of age, have sufficient knowledge of German and be able to follow study procedures.
A total of 431 people participated in the study. Researchers used self-report electronic questionnaires to assess the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infections and collected data using the Research Electronic Data Capture survey system.
They examined the following areas 6 to 8 months after the initial infection of each participant:
- the participant’s level of recovery following COVID-19
- the presence of symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, depression, anxiety and stress
- contact that the participant has had with the health care system, such as hospitalization or visits to the doctor, after the period of acute illness
Participants were asked about their current state of health and their health-related quality of life. The researchers also collected data on participants’ socio-demographic status, comorbidities, risk factors, and experience during the initial infection.
The study used several rating scales in the data collection, including the Fatigue Rating Scale, the Medical Research Council’s Modified Dyspnea Scale, and the
The vast majority of participants – 89% – exhibited symptoms during their initial period of infection, and 19% of participants were hospitalized with COVID-19 for an average of 7 days.
Between 6 and 8 months after the initial infection, just over a quarter of participants said they had not fully recovered from COVID-19.
The results of the study include the following highlights:
- 26% (111) of participants said they did not fully recover from COVID-19 between 6 and 8 months after the initial infection.
- 55% (233) of participants reported having symptoms of fatigue.
- 25% (96) of participants reported some level of dyspnea.
- 26% (111) of participants reported symptoms of depression.
- 40% (170) of participants reported having had at least one visit to a general practitioner related to COVID-19 after the 4-week period of acute illness.
Lead author of the study, Milo A. Puhan, MD – who is professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Zurich and director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention – said MNT:
“Our data shows that the long COVID affects different people in different ways. About a quarter had not fully recovered after 6 to 8 months. While some people have complained of persistent symptoms, others have described symptoms of fatigue, dyspnea, and depression. We have found that these results seem to occur together only in [a] few participants, while the majority were affected by only one or two of these outcomes simultaneously.
The study has certain limitations, in particular the period of recruitment of participants. The researchers note that the people included in the study contracted the infection during the first wave of the pandemic in Switzerland.
Testing limitations, health system capabilities, and increased awareness of COVID-19 symptoms may have impacted sample selection and results. There was also the possibility of sampling bias.
The researchers did not have basic data on the physical and mental health of the participants before the SARS-CoV-2 infection, making it impossible to distinguish the direct effect of COVID-19 from pre-existing conditions.
In addition, the researchers were unable to compare the rates of anxiety and depression in the participants with those of the general population, which has also been affected by anxiety and depression from the pandemic in general. .
Finally, it is possible that participants’ use of health services was underestimated, as specialized medical and diagnostic services were not included in the data collection.
The limitations and results of the study underscore the need for further research.
Dr Arturo Casadevall, an immunologist and chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Md., Said MNT:
“This article adds to the growing body of evidence that a significant proportion of people who contract COVID-19 suffer from ‘long haul’ symptoms. COVID-19 is a new disease for mankind, and we are learning about the long-term consequences of the infection. “
According to Dr. Schaffner, research should focus on two main concepts in the future.
First, research needs to focus on how to care for people with long-term symptoms of COVID-19. Dr Schaffner added that the goal for these patients would be to achieve a fully functioning level – or as close as possible to a fully functioning level.
The other area of interest has to be how SARS-CoV-2 causes these long-term symptoms in the body.
Professor Puhan further noted the following regarding the usefulness of the study:
“Our results show that a relevant proportion of people suffer from long-term health effects after infection with SARS-CoV-2. It is therefore crucial that health systems plan for services that can support those affected in their recovery accordingly. We hope that our study – as well as the studies of others – will help estimate the scale and range of services that may be needed now and after potential future waves of the pandemic. “
For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.
[ad_2]
Source link