Several COVID patients in Wuhan show coronavirus symptoms a year after recovery: Study

Nearly half of roughly 1,200 recovered COVID-19 patients in Wuhan had symptoms even after a year of recovery according to a new study. 

The study, published in the journal Lancet, focused on patients from the city of Wuhan, where the first occurrences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus were reported from. FIndings of the study attempt to highlight the importance of long-term support. 

More about the research 

The study looked at the health of 1,276 individuals hospitalised with Covid-19 in Wuhan between January and May 2020 at six and twelve months following infection. It revealed that survivors were in worse health a year later than those who had not been infected with the virus. Though the majority of patients recovered from their symptoms after a year, the researchers discovered that nearly half of them had at least one lingering symptom, with fatigue or muscle weakness being the most prevalent symptom reported by 20% of patients.

The researchers also discovered that nearly one-third of patients still had shortness of breath a year later and that a significant number of patients who underwent chest CT scans and lung function tests had lung abnormalities and impaired function, the latter of which did not improve from six-month measurements. These issues were more common in patients who required mechanical ventilation in the hospital, according to Forbes.

The study also found that the proportion of recovering patients reporting mental health issues was slightly higher at 12 months than at six months, with 26% reporting anxiety and depression, a three-point increase from the six-month point and significantly higher than those who had not received COVID-19.

Health outcomes for 1,276 COVID-19 patients treated at Jin Yin-Tan hospital in Wuhan between January and May 2020 were assessed by Chinese scientists from Beijing and Wuhan at six and twelve months. According to the widely followed coronavirus tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University in the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed over 4.47 million lives and infected over 214 million people around the world.

The study included a small number of patients

The authors noted that because their research was limited to a single hospital, patient results may not be transferable in other contexts. Furthermore, because the study only covered a small number of patients in critical care, they warned that findings pertaining to the most seriously ill patients should be treated with caution.

(Image- @rheytah/Twitter)