Written By: Satata Karmakar | Updated : November 13, 2020 12:00 PM IST
The pandemic required hard work, long duty hours and relentless devotion from doctors.
It's been more than 11 months since the COVID-19 outbreak started in China's Wuhan city, but we are yet to find a cure for this deadly disease. Amid this health crisis, a recent study by the University of Michigan in the US has shown that many recovered COVID-19 patients are experiencing major lasting health effects after hospitalisation. Scientists assessed data from more than 1,600 COVID-19 patients in the US and found that within two months of leaving the hospital, nearly 7 per cent of them had died, and 15 per cent had ended up back in the hospital.
The researchers analysed the data from 1648 patients with COVID-19 admitted to 38 hospitals in Michigan, and found that 398 died during hospitalisation and 1250 survived. They interviewed 488 of the surviving patients by phone around 60 days after their hospitalisation.
According to the study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, more than 39 per cent of the interviewed patients said they hadn't gotten back to normal activities yet, two months after leaving the hospital.
Nearly 12 per cent of them said they couldn't carry out basic care for themselves anymore, or as well as before.
"These data suggest that the burden of COVID-19 extends far beyond the hospital and far beyond health. The mental, financial and physical tolls of this disease among survivors appear substantial," said study co-author Vineet Chopra from the University of Michigan.
Nearly 23 per cent of the patients said they became short of breath just climbing a flight of stairs, and one-third had ongoing COVID-like symptoms, including many who still had problems with taste or smell, the study noted.
About half of those interviewed said they'd been emotionally affected by their experience with COVID-19 -- including a minority who said they'd sought mental health care, the scientists added.
"The sheer number of people struggling after COVID brings new urgency to developing programs to better promote and support recovery after an acute illness," said Hallie Prescott another co-author of the study.
The novel coronavirus manifests differently in different people. However, crippling fatigue is the most common feature among others.
Others lasting symptoms of COVID-19 include breathlessness for months, a cough that won't go away, persistent joint pain, muscle aches, hearing and eyesight problems, headaches, loss of smell and taste, lung damage, heart attack, life-threatening clots, stroke as well as damage to the kidneys and gut.
Earlier, a report from Bristol-based Southmead Hospital revealed that almost 75 per cent of the COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital continued to battle with certain symptoms, even after being declared COVID-free. On average, the symptoms lasted for three months. Another preliminary study reported heart inflammation and heart failure among COVID-19 survivors.
Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association followed 143 COVID-19 patients after they were discharged from Rome's biggest hospital. Nearly two months later, 87% of patients still had at least one symptom and more than half were struggling with fatigue.
According to the reports from various studies, many people who recovered from COVID-19 infection are also struggling with mental health problems including depression and anxiety.
The UK National Health Service (NHS) has "Your Covid Recovery Plan" which recommends the "three Ps" in order to conserve energy. It tells long Covid patients
Apart from the above plan, also make sure to eat right and keep yourself hydrated. Include more vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables in your diet to strengthen your immunity.
(With inputs from Agencies)
