Many hospitalized COVID-19 patients may experience symptoms for up to six months, according to a study published Jan. 8 in The Lancet.
The study involved 1,733 COVID-19 patients discharged from a hospital in Wuhan, China, between Jan. 7 and May 29, 2020. Researchers conducted a follow-up survey with patients on their condition and lingering symptoms between June 16 and Sept. 2, 2020.
Four study findings:
1. Seventy-six percent of patients still had at least one symptom after six months.
2. Women were more likely to have lingering symptoms than men in the study.
3. The most common lingering symptoms were fatigue or muscle weakness (63 percent) and sleep difficulties (26 percent).
4. Nearly a quarter of patients reported anxiety or depression during the follow-up period.
"Our analysis indicates that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after leaving hospital and highlights a need for post-discharge care, particularly for those who experience severe infections," lead author Bin Cao, MD, vice president and director of respiratory and critical care medicine at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, said in a statement cited by CNN.
To view the full study, click here.
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