The next challenge for science is long Covid. Here because

16 October 20213 years ago babelfish

Fatigue, joint and muscle pain, flu symptoms and weight loss. These are some of the symptoms of long Covid experienced by one in two people healed. All the data from the most recent and comprehensive study published by the JAMA Network Open journal

Not just Covid. One of the new challenges for medicine is long Covid. In fact, more than one in two patients cured in the world develops long-term symptoms that persist for up to six months after recovery. This is what emerges from a survey carried out at the Penn State College of Medicine and published in the journal JAMA Network Open .

I STUDY

The large-scale survey showed that of the 236 million people cured of Covid worldwide, more than half report long-term symptoms. Once 2,100 studies were identified, excluding duplicates and those that did not meet the inclusion criteria, a total of 57 studies from around the world were reviewed.

Experts reviewed the data, totaling 250,351 unvaccinated adults and children who had Covid between December 2019 and March 2021.

79% of the sample was hospitalized, and most of the patients (79%) – with an average age of 54 – live in rich countries.

The incidence and evolution of long Covid, the document reads, depend on the time elapsed since the infection, the organ systems and tissues affected, the vaccination status, the variant of the virus and the geographical region.

THE RESULTS

The study found that over half of the healed manifest or have manifested the symptoms of long Covid. For 50% of them the complained symptoms range from weight loss to fatigue, pain. In fact, the seven most common symptoms are: muscle fatigue or weakness, joint pain, muscle aches, flu symptoms, fever, general pain and weight loss.

More than 1 in 5 of the healed show a reduction in motility; 1 in 4 difficulty concentrating; 1 in 3 develops an anxiety disorder; 3 out of 5 have lung abnormalities and over 1 out of 4 have breathing difficulties. Almost 1 in 5 also complain of hair loss and skin redness.

Long Covid neurological, mental health, respiratory, mobility and general symptoms. Source: JAMA Network Open

SYMPTOM ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

38 clinical manifestations were evaluated, then divided into three categories: organ systems (neurological, mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, dermatological, and ear, nose and throat); constitutional symptoms; and functional mobility.

NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS

Headaches, memory deficits, difficulty concentrating and cognitive impairment were the most common neurological symptoms. Although anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia or dysgeusia (loss or distortion of taste) are often reported as part of the ear-nose-throat system, in the study they were included in neurological symptoms as a consequence of effect of the virus on cranial nerve I for smell and on cranial nerves VII, IX, and X for taste.

MENTAL DISORDERS

The study found that about 1 in 3 of the recovered individuals were diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorders, 1 in 4 sleep disorders, 1 in 5 depression and 1 in 8 post-traumatic stress disorder.

LUNG ANOMALIES

Lung function tests such as spirometry, carbon monoxide diffusion capacity and respiratory strength, as well as chest x-rays, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed to ascertain any lung abnormalities. The most frequent complaints observed are dyspnoea, cough and increased oxygen requirements.

CARDIOVASCULAR AND GASTROINTESTINAL, DERMATOLOGICAL, EAR-NOSE-THROAT DISORDERS

Among the cardiovascular disorders, chest pain and palpitations are particularly noted, while for gastrointestinal disorders, dermatologists and related to the ear, nose, throat are frequent abdominal pain, decreased appetite, diarrhea and vomiting.

Cardiac, digestive, dermatological, ear, nose and throat symptoms. Source: JAMA Network Open

THE RESEARCHERS ALARM

The researchers then sounded the alarm to governments pointing out that in the near future, health systems will have to cope with a wave of long Covid patients to manage for physical and psychological symptoms.

The study, the authors conclude, now shows more and more clearly that the disease does not end with the resolution of the infection and the vaccine is currently the main weapon available against infection and therefore also against long Covid.

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/la-prossima-sfida-per-la-scienza-e-il-long-covid-ecco-perche/ on Sat, 16 Oct 2021 06:46:49 +0000.