Every tenth person who has had a mild COVID-19 illness, even after 8 months, has at least one moderate or severe post-coronavirus symptom that negatively affects the quality of life, Sweden’s scientists noted. The results of their new study were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
In the first phase of the study in the spring of 2020, scientists took blood samples from 2,149 employees at Danderyds hospital, of which about 19% had antibodies to SARS-CoV-2. Samples were collected every 4 months, and study participants provided data on the long-term effects of the disease and their impact on quality of life.
In January 2021, experts examined long-term symptoms and their impact on work, social, and home life for people who had a mild form of COVID-19 at least 8 months ago. This group consisted of 323 healthcare workers (83% were women with an average age of 43) and compared with 1,072 healthcare workers (86% of them women, average age 47) who did not have COVID-19 during the entire period.
It turned out that 11% of COVID-19 patients experienced at least one symptom that negatively affects work, social, or home life. Moreover, this symptom has bothered these patients for at least 8 months. The most common long-term symptoms were loss of smell and taste, fatigue, and breathing problems. However, the incidence of neurological disorders such as problems with memory and concentration did not increase.
