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More than three quarters (76.5%) of 1,655 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China, had at least one symptom 6 months after discharge, reports a
Lancet study published late last week.
The most common self-reported symptoms were fatigue or muscle weakness (62.7%) and sleeping difficulties (26.4%), and physical exam follow-ups also showed lung diffusion impairment which indicates poor oxygen exchange in 34.1% of patients. Because COVID-19 is such a new disease, we are only beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patients health, says senior author Bin Cao, MD, in a Lancet press release. 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.