Long COVID symptoms in a third of people with COVID-19

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Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

Observational study: A study in which the subject is observed to see if there is a relationship between two or more things (eg: the consumption of diet drinks and obesity). Observational studies cannot prove that one thing causes another, only that they are linked.

Survey: A study based solely on people’s responses to a series of questions.

People: This is a study based on research using people.

Around a third of people who develop mild to moderate COVID-19 report lingering symptoms 7 months after infection. Researchers from Switzerland surveyed people diagnosed with COVID-19 and found that 39 per cent reported residual symptoms 7 to 9 months after their initial infection. These symptoms included fatigue, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, and headache. Based on these findings and findings from similar studies, the authors suggest that people treated for mild to moderate COVID-19 should be informed about the potential for long-term effects and doctors should continue to monitor them.

Journal/conference: Annals of Internal Medicine

Link to research (DOI): 10.7326/M21-0878

Organisation/s: Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland

Funder: Authors have reported no disclosures of interest.

Media release

From: American College of Physicians

Almost a third of persons with mild to moderate, acute COVID-19 suffer long-term symptoms

A survey of patients previously diagnosed with COVID-19 found that lingering symptoms 7 months after infection were common among otherwise healthy young persons in the outpatient setting. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Researchers from the Geneva University Hospitals surveyed 629 persons who were a part of Geneva's CoviCare program from 18 March to 15 May 2020 using semistructured telephone interviews at enrollment and 30 to 45 days and 7 to 9 months from diagnosis to characterize long-term symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Of the 410 patients that completed follow-up at 7 to 9 months after diagnosis, 39.0% reported residual symptoms. These symptoms included fatigue (20.7%), loss of taste or smell (16.8%), shortness of breath (11.7%), and headache (10.0%).

Based on these findings and findings from similar studies, the authors suggest that persons treated on an outpatient basis for mild to moderate COVID-19 should be informed about the potential for long-term effects and physicians should continue to monitor them. Physicians should also be aware of other causes of such symptoms as fatigue, cognitive and neurologic symptoms, and shortness of breath to avoid misinterpretation.

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