"Approximately one in eight adult patients with coronavirus (rate 12,7%) subsequently developed long-term symptoms of the disease, estimates a new major Dutch scientific study, published in the medical journal "The Lancet" and considered one of the most reliable to date on the issue of the so-called "long Covid-19».
Of the patients who had a diagnosis Covid-19, 21,4% had at least one new or more severe symptom three to five months after the initial coronavirus infection than before the infection, compared with 8,7% among people who had not been diagnosed with the coronavirus during the same period (the control group for comparison purposes).
This fact, according to the Dutch scientists, leads to the conclusion that one eighth of people in the general population (about 13%) show long-term symptoms due to Covid-19.
The main symptoms of long Covid-19 are, according to the study, chest pain, shortness of breath, pain when breathing, muscle aches, loss of smell and/or taste, lump in the throat, tingling in the extremities, feeling too cold or hot , heaviness in arms or legs and general fatigue. The above symptoms peaked in severity about three months after the initial infection and did not show abatement thereafter.
Other less frequent and severe symptoms were headaches, itchy eyes, dizziness, backaches and nausea. However, the study did not include psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety.
The researchers, led by Professor Judith Rosmalen of the University of Groningen, analyzed data on 76.422 people, of whom 4.231 (5,5%) had been diagnosed with Covid-19. As they pointed out, "the meta-Covid-19 syndrome, also known as long Covid-19, is an urgent problem with an increasing impact on people."
Commenting on the Dutch study, Professor Christopher Brightling of the UK's University of Leicester said that "based on the evidence so far, the view is strengthened that the long Covid-19 it is common and can last for at least two years, although its severe form occurs only in a minority.'
RES-EAP