Efforts to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control while still returning to some sort of normal life are delicately balanced, and new research suggests more attention needs to be paid to the long-term effects of the virus for those patients who required placement in intensive care units.
An analysis of 246 patients admitted to intensive care in the Netherlands while having COVID-19, with an average age of 61, showed that nearly three-quarters were still experiencing physical problems 12 months after their hospital visit.
It is another reminder of the risk of long coronaviruses, which can cause significant symptoms after the initial disease has passed. There are more than 200 symptoms associated with the condition, and it shows the importance of long-term monitoring of the effects of COVID-19.
The study shows what an incredible impact an intensive care unit admission has on the lives of former COVID-19 patients.
Half of them are tired after a year and don't have the energy to get back to work.
Almost 40 percent of people said they still felt weak a year after COVID. Mental health issues were mentioned by 26.2 percent of participants.
Pain, muscle weakness, and a lack of breath were some of the physical problems mentioned by the study participants. Feelings of anxiety or post-traumatic stress were reported by around one in five people.
It seems clear that for a lot of people there the long-term effects of getting a serious case of COVID-19 are not known.
Post-ICU symptoms can be divided into the physical, mental, and cognitive domain and are associated with increased one-year mortality, higher health care costs, and lower quality of life according to the researchers.
There is an increasing amount of information that scientists can use to understand COVID-19, including patient responses to acute respiratory distress syndrome, which affects people very much like COVID-19.
Long-term illness can affect friends and family, as well as employers, who may be caring for people who are still sick. The study showed that almost 60 percent of people who had a job before getting COVID-19 were still off sick a year later.
The study has some limitations, but it does highlight some reasons to be concerned when it comes to the way people can continue to suffer from COVID-19.
Insight into the long-term outcomes among patients with COVID-19 who received ICU treatment is important for providing adequate care and tailored to the clinical needs of these patients.
The research has been published.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
