New data indicates that most COVID-19 patients who continue to suffer from some side effects after 12 months are likely to experience them even after 18 months. The results stem from a large study conducted on 33,281 individuals in Scotland who tested positive for the coronavirus. The majority of the findings align with those from previous smaller studies, according to "Reuters".
Researchers in the study, published in the journal "Nature Communications," noted that a majority of a subset consisting of 197 individuals recovering from SARS-CoV-2 infection, which was accompanied by symptoms, completed surveys at 12 and 18 months, reporting that symptoms related to the disease persisted after these two periods following infection.
The rates of non-recovery after 12 months were recorded at 11%, while partial recovery was 51%, and full recovery was 39%. The rates mirrored exactly for the 18-month mark. Additionally, those who were asymptomatic during infection did not report any long-term health effects. However, half of the symptomatic cases, totaling 31,486 in the study, stated that a period ranging from 6 months to 1.5 years passed without feeling fully recovered.
Researchers reported that one in every 20 symptomatic patients stated in the latest follow-up that their recovery was not yet complete. For her part, Jill Bell, who led the study from the University of Glasgow, explained in a statement that "the study is important because it adds to our understanding of (symptoms linked to) long COVID among the general public, not just among those who required hospitalization for treatment of COVID-19."
