Lancet study reveals symptoms reappear after six months of Covid recovery

A study conducted by Lancet has revealed that after six months of recovery from Covid-19, fatigue, muscle weakness, sleep difficulties, anxiety, depression were reported among survivors. Meanwhile, IMA president said that as the virus mutates it is likely that we would require a new vaccine every year.

New Delhi: A Lancet study has revealed that six months after acute Covid-19 infection, survivors were mainly troubled with fatigue or muscle weakness, sleep difficulties, and anxiety or depression.

Patients who were more severely ill during their hospitalization had more severe impaired pulmonary diffusion capacities and abnormal chest imaging manifestations. Severely affected patients are the main target population for the intervention of long term recovery.

"The long term health consequences of Covid 19 remain largely unclear. The aim of this study was to describe the long term health consequences of Covid-19 patients who have been discharged from hospital and investigate the associated risk factor, in particular disease severity," the Lancet study said.

As many as 1733 of 2469 discharged patients with Covid-19 were enrolled, excluding 736. "Patients were of the median age of 57 years and 897 were men. The follow-up study was done from June 16 to September 3 and the median follow up time after symptom onset was 186 days. Fatigue or muscle weakness (63 per cent) and sleep difficulties (26 per cent) were the most common symptoms," the study said.

This study was the largest cohort study with the longest follow-up duration for the consequences of adult patients discharged from the hospital. The Lancet findings showed that patients reported at least one system after infection and the proportion was higher in women.

It said that 23 per cent of patients reported anxiety or depression during the follow-up." The percentage of patients with pulmonary diffusion abnormality during follow-up is higher in patients with more severe disease at the acute phase," as per the study.

"In multivariable analysis, women and participants with severity scale 5-6 have a higher risk of lung diffusion impairment, anxiety or depression, and fatigue or muscle weakness," it said.

The study was done Jin Yin-tan hospital, the first designated hospital for patients with Covid19 in Wuhan in China. Reacting over the findings, Dr J A Jayalal, Indian Medical Association (IMA) president said that this was an anticipated study.

He said that the duration of antibodies produced after the infection is not known. He said that certain infection like influenza virus mutates "so we need vaccine every year to create antibodies."

He said that Lancet study is based on a small number of people. "There are remodulation which means reinfection is possible. However, this is not a big issue. We will face the situation with appropriate actions," he said.

Dr Jayalal suggested that in spite of getting vaccinated and getting cured "people need to maintain social distancing and adopt proper behavioural change."