Very bad news about post-Covid: No cure after two years

A study published in the Lancet Respiratory Medicine on Thursday evaluated 1,200 hospitalized patients for Covid-19 and found that their health and quality of life were worse than those of the general population.

Scientists at Sino-Japanese Friendship Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing Union College of Medicine and Beijing Qinghai Medical University examined patients treated for Covid-19 at Wenjiang Hospital in Wuhan from January 7 to May 29, 2020 after six infections. months, a year, and two years.

The mean age of patients was 57 years at hospital discharge. The researchers assessed the participants’ six-minute walks, ran lab tests and questionnaires, and asked them about their possible symptoms. They were also asked if they had returned to work and needed medical care after being discharged from hospital.

According to the study, after six months of illness, 68 percent still had at least one long-term symptom of Covid. Two years after the injury, 55 percent of them reported symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, and sleep disturbances. Their complaints also included joint pain, palpitations, dizziness, headaches, and anxiety or depression.

Researchers say the findings suggest that a certain percentage of those recovering from Covid-19 need more than two years to recover completely.

However, the authors noted that those who were not involved in the study may have had fewer symptoms than those who did, and thus may have overestimated the long-term incidence of Covid-19 symptoms.

However, study author Cao Ping, a researcher at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said, “There is a clear need for continued support for a significant proportion of people who succumb to Covid-19.”

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