COVID-19 survivors who were not hospitalized still had a higher risk of death and required more healthcare services within six months than people without the virus, according to a study accepted for publication in Nature.
Researchers analyzed medical records of more than 73,000 Veterans Affairs patients nationwide who tested positive for COVID-19 between March and November 2020 but were not hospitalized. They compared their outcomes to those of nearly 5 million VA patients who did not have COVID-19 and were not hospitalized over the same period.
Researchers found the death risk for COVID-19 survivors was 60 percent higher than people who had not contracted the virus one to six months after infection. COVID-19 survivors were also 20 percent more likely to need outpatient medical care within six months, reports The New York Times.
Survivors often developed long-term health issues that affected various parts of the body, including nervous system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders and heart issues, researchers found. These individuals were also at greater risk for mental health issues and were more likely to take therapeutics like pain medications, antidepressants and blood pressure drugs.
"The results provide a road map to inform health system planning and development of multidisciplinary care strategies to reduce chronic health loss among COVID-19 survivors," researchers concluded.