About 1 in 7 adults with COVID-19 developed a new health issue that required medical care after recovering from the virus last year, according to a study published May 19 in The BMJ.
Researchers analyzed claims data for 266,586 U.S. adults diagnosed with COVID-19 between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31, 2020.
They found 14 percent of adults were diagnosed with at least one of 50 new health conditions within six months of their initial infection. This figure was 5 percent higher than a comparative group of U.S. adults who did have COVID-19, and 1.65 percent higher than adults with a viral lower respiratory tract infection.
New conditions COVID-19 survivors developed included chronic respiratory failure, heart rhythm problems, amnesia, diabetes, anxiety and fatigue.
"With almost 70 million individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 worldwide and rising, the number of survivors with potential sequelae after COVID-19 will continue to grow," researchers said. "To manage these patients effectively, understanding the incidence and natural history of these sequelae is important."
To view the full study, click here.