Covid-19 survivors face lingering symptoms -------------------------------------------------- More than three-quarters of people hospitalised with Covid-19 still had at least one ongoing symptom six months after initially becoming unwell, according to research published in The Lancet -------------------------------------------------- Most common patient symptoms six months after Covid-19 infection Fatigue or muscle weakness 63% Pain or discomfort 27% Sleep difficulties 26% Anxiety or depression 23% Less distance walked* 23% Hair loss 22% Smell disorder 11% Heart palpitations 9% Joint pain 9% Lack of appetite 8% -------------------------------------------------- Percentage of patients reporting at least one ongoing symptom 76% -------------------------------------------------- Study of 1,733 patients first diagnosed in Wuhan, China, from Jan-May 2020. Follow-up from Jun-Sep 2020 *Based on six-minute walking test -------------------------------------------------- Lung function: Most of those who had been severely ill in hospital had ongoing lung problems and chest abnormalities that could indicate organ damage -------------------------------------------------- Kidney function: 13% of patients whose kidneys functioned normally in hospital went on to develop kidney problems later -------------------------------------------------- Antibodies: Follow-up blood tests from 94 patients found that antibody levels were 52.5% lower than at height of infection, raising concerns about possibility of being re-infected by virus -------------------------------------------------- Sources: AAAS, Reuters, The Lancet Picture: Newscom © GRAPHIC NEWS