Around 75 percent of the patients who had coronavirus or COVID-19 have reported symptoms of the deadly disease three months after recovering, as per a new study conducted in the UK. The research involving 110 patients was carried out by North Bristol NHS Trust as a part of its Discover project that aims at identifying the long-term effects of the virus.
Out of the 110, 81 patients witnessed symptoms, which include breathlessness, excessive fatigue, and muscle aches even after 12 weeks, the researchers found. However, the majority of the patients had recovered from the initial symptoms like high fever, cough, and losing the sense of smell, they still had trouble performing basic tasks like washing and dressing.
Around 75% Suffering From COVID-19 Symptoms
"There's still so much we don't know about the long-term effects of coronavirus, but this study has given us vital new insight into what challenges patients may face in their recovery and will help us prepare for those needs," Dr. Rebecca Smith of the North Bristol NHS Trust mentioned. The project had recruited 163 patients for the study, out of which 19 lost their lives. The remaining were asked to come for a checkup after three months and 110 of them attended.
Dr. Dacis Arnold, who is the leader of the Discover Project said, "The study described "what many coronavirus patients have been telling us: they are still breathless, tired, and not sleeping well months after admission. Reassuringly, however, abnormalities on X-rays and breathing tests are rare in this group. Further work in the Discover project will help us to understand why this is, and how we can help coronavirus sufferers," he added.
The deadly virus outbreak has created a major stir around the world infecting more than 22.4 million people globally and claimed the lives of over 787,000 people worldwide. Scientists around the world are working to find out about the effects of the virus in patients after they recover. The researchers are slowly getting to learn the various side effects of the disease. An effective vaccine is expected by the first quarter of 2021.
