Hospitalizations for serious Covid cases leave traces. According to recent research, only one in four patients fully recover after one year. The chances of recovery are reduced if the patients are female, obese or if they underwent mechanical ventilation during their hospitalization.
- Only one in four patients hospitalized with Covid are fully recovered after a year, new UK study finds
- Women, people with obesity or patients placed on artificial respiration see their chances of a rapid recovery decrease
Featured in The Lancet Respiratory Medicinethis research is based on data collected from 39 UK hospitals in the National Health Service (NHS). In total, analysis of information from more than 2,000 patients after hospitalization with Covid-19 shows that around one in four feels fully recovered after a year.
Recovery was assessed through patient-reported outcomes of physical performance and organ function five months and one year after discharge from hospital. The researchers also took blood samples during the five-month visit to analyze them for the presence of various inflammatory proteins. Data was collected between March 7, 2020 and April 18, 2021.
More risk in women and obese people
According to the study, being a woman, being obese and having undergone mechanical ventilation in the hospital (58% less likely) is associated with a lower probability of feeling fully recovered in the after one year (respectively 32%, 50% and 58% less likely).
“The limited recovery of five months to one year after hospitalization in our study for symptoms, mental health, exercise capacity, organ damage and quality of life is striking.“, emphasizes Dr. Rachael Evans, co-author of the research.
“There is no specific therapy for long Covid and our data underscores that effective interventions are urgently needed (…) The concordance in the severity of physical and mental health impairment in long Covid underlines the need not only for close integration between physical and mental health care for affected patients, including assessment and interventions, but also for knowledge transfer between healthcare professionals to improve patient care“, adds Pre Louise Wain, who also participated in the study.
