Langtidsvirkninger av covid-19

I omkring et år har covid-19 hatt en helt enorm oppmerksomhet i hvert eneste land verden over. Likevel er det mye vi fortsatt ikke vet. For eksempel vet vi foreløpig ganske lite om hvor mange som får alvorlige langtidseffekter av sykdommen.

The Economist skriver i artikkelen "In serious cases, covid-19 symptoms can linger for a long time" om noen urovekkende funn som er gjort i Wuhan i Kina blant 1733 pasienter som var så syke at de ble innlagt på sykehus. The Economist skriver:

"Recent research, published in the Lancet, a medical journal, offers more insight into how long those severely afflicted with covid-19 suffer. The study followed 1,733 patients hospitalised in Wuhan between January and March 2020. It found that, six months on, 76% were still experiencing at least one symptom. Fatigue and muscle weakness were the most common (63%), followed by sleep disturbances (25%), hair loss (10%) and problems with the sense of smell (10%). Problems with anxiety and depression were also reported. Those most unwell during their time in hospital also exhibited signs of impaired lung function; chest imaging detected abnormalities, which could indicate organ damage. Old age increases vulnerability to covid-19. But the median age of people in the study was 57, meaning that half were working-age adults."

Det vil komme langt mer kunnksap om de helsemessige effektene av covid-19 i tiden som kommer, etter hvert som dataene kommer frem og blir forsket på.