There have been more than 91 million COVID-19 cases and more than 1.9 million deaths worldwide as of January 12. Ninety-seven percent of all reported closed cases have resulted in patients either recovering or being discharged from the hospital. However, because the disease is relatively new, there is still much to be learned about its long-term effects on physical and mental health. The following are three ways in which those diagnosed with COVID-19 have been impacted beyond the acute disease timeline of a couple of weeks.
Muscle Weakness and Depression
Although the majority of people who become infected with the novel coronavirus recover within a few weeks, it's not uncommon for them to experience debilitating symptoms well after the fact. To investigate the long-term effects of the disease, researchers in Wuhan, China, followed up with 1,733 hospitalized COVID-19 patients over six months. The study, published in The Lancet, showed that 76 percent of these patients continued to experience at least one symptom. Common problems included muscle weakness, sleep difficulties, depression, and anxiety.
"Our analysis indicates that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after leaving hospital, and highlights a need for post-discharge care, particularly for those who experience severe infections," noted study author Dr. Bin Cao.
Organ Damage
According to Mayo Clinic, common long-term COVID-19 symptoms include muscle pain, headaches, loss of smell or taste, and joint and chest pain. While the disease primarily impacts the lungs, it can also cause damage to the heart and brain. In many cases, imaging tests conducted months after a patient's recovery have highlighted damage to the heart muscle, even in those who experienced mild symptoms. This can contribute to heart complications later in life.
Mayo Clinic also asserts that those diagnosed with COVID-19 may have an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. Looking at a number of different studies exploring COVID-19's effect on cognitive function, Dr. Andrew E. Budson, a cognitive and behavioral neurologist, concluded the disease "frequently" causes mild brain damage, especially in individuals over 70.
Shortness of Breath and Fatigue
One of the most common long-term effects of COVID-19 reported thus far is shortness of breath and fatigue. A study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society studied 153 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 and found that nearly half experienced fatigue several months after their diagnosis. Many, including some who only had mild infections, felt short of breath while walking.