Menu

Graphic detail

Daily chart

In serious cases, covid-19 symptoms can

linger for a long time
Over three-quarters of the severely ill still have symptoms six months later

Jan 18th 2021

IT HAS BEEN nearly a year since a mysterious, pneumonia-like illness originating

in the Chinese city of Wuhan was rst reported outside China. For many, the
 y y
intervening months have felt interminable, like living with a recurrent disease
they cannot shake. Some actually are. Although most bouts of covid-19 are mild,

lasting only one or two weeks, many people are left with lingering symptoms
weeks or even months after infection.

Recent research, published in the Lancet, a medical journal, o ers more insight
into how long those severely a icted with covid-19 su er. The study followed 1,733
patients hospitalised in Wuhan between January and March 2020. It found that, six
months on, 76% were still experiencing at least one symptom. Fatigue and muscle
weakness were the most common (63%), followed by sleep disturbances (25%),
hair loss (10%) and problems with the sense of smell (10%). Problems with anxiety
and depression were also reported. Those most unwell during their time in
hospital also exhibited signs of impaired lung function; chest imaging detected
abnormalities, which could indicate organ damage. Old age increases vulnerability
to covid-19. But the median age of people in the study was 57, meaning that half
were working-age adults.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Best Liquor Gift Idea

Flaviar Open

The study is the largest investigation into the long-term impact of covid-19 in
patients discharged from hospital according to its authors It suggests that such
patients discharged from hospital, according to its authors. It suggests that such
patients may require specialised care, something that is starting to be recognised,
as indicated by the creation of clinics dedicated to “long-haulers” in Britain and
America.

It does not, however, explain why such protracted impacts are felt, nor how they
might be prevented. Long-term symptoms are often seen in patients who are ill
enough to spend time in intensive-care units for other ailments or injuries. But
only 4% of the respondents in Wuhan had been admitted to intensive care.
Hospitals everywhere are bursting with coronavirus patients: in Britain alone,
more than 37,000 people are currently hospitalised with the disease. If a large
proportion of them are susceptible to prolonged symptoms, that leaves a lot of
people not returning to normal. And that is in addition to the long-lasting
symptoms seen among people who were never hospitalised in the rst place. A
study published in October, based on data from a symptom-tracking app used in
several countries (including America, Britain and Sweden), estimated that 2.3% of
people who contracted covid-19 were still unwell three months after rst showing
symptoms. All were younger and less severely ill than the patients followed in
Wuhan. Experts don’t yet know why this happens. A year on from the rst case of
covid-19, medical understanding of the disease is still woefully incomplete.

Reuse this content The Trust Project

More from Graphic detail