Will the brain fog and insomnia get better after being diagnosed? Doctors reveal recovery time for COVID-19 patients: recovery is expected within 1 year
The prevention of “Long Covid”, the sequelae of COVID-19, has always been a focus that the medical community is eager to clarify. According to a French study published in the authoritative medical journal “JAMA”, long-term tracking of more than 4,000 people shows that the symptoms of COVID-19 are expected to be relieved “within one year”. This is the longest randomized interview study to date on the topic of COVID-19. It has certain reference value.
Research: More than 90% of COVID-19 patients recovered within one year
Dr. Jiang Guanyu, the attending physician at the Department of Integrated Medicine, Taipei City Hospital Zhongxing Branch, posted on social media that people in the clinic often ask about the duration of the sequelae of COVID-19. Now, a “JAMA” study points out that on average, COVID-19 symptoms are more common in " “It will disappear within a year”; however, 10% of patients with COVID-19 still have symptoms one year later.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu pointed out that previous studies on the duration of COVID-19 were mostly conjecture. In fact, the duration of symptoms of COVID-19 is difficult to quantify, and it requires complete tracking for a longer period of time to see the clues. The value of this study is that no previous studies have followed up for more than 8-10 months. This trial included the infected population in France in the second half of 2020; for complete tracking, the subjects were tracked through Internet questionnaires for more than one and a half years, that is, the case was only concluded in the first half of this year.
The French research team extracted the infected person database from May 1 to November 30, 2020, and completed a follow-up Internet questionnaire survey from June 1 to September 30, 2021. Among 3972 serum samples, 861 patients (approximately 32.5%) reported at least one persistent COVID-19 symptom that lasted for more than 2 months after the acute phase. This data is not far from the data presented by the University of Oxford in the UK during the early mutant strains. After 1 year of follow-up, it is estimated that about 89.9% of individuals have completely relieved symptoms. The most common persistent symptoms are as follows:
Difficulty breathing, about 26.5%.
Joint pain, about 26.9%.
Loss of smell or hearing impairment, about 27.0%
Weakness, about 20.6%.
Attention disorder, about 22.3%.
Memory loss, about 40.0%. 7. Sleep disorders, about 36.6%.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu explained that the proportion of symptoms that continued to decrease at the time of the interview was 18.4% at 6 months, 10.1% at 12 months, and 18.1% at 18 months for at least one persistent symptom. The rate was 7.8%; for those with more severe symptoms, 33.6% had more than 5 symptoms 1 week after acute infection, and this dropped to 2.8% 2 months after acute infection.
Concentration is likely to decline as you get older! Symptoms of “six major ethnic groups” may be delayed to subside
Dr. Jiang Guanyu pointed out that the resolution time of each symptom is different. It is estimated that 97.5% of patients with frailty, 94.2% of patients with difficulty concentrating, and 77.5% of patients with memory loss will have symptoms subside 1 year after acute symptoms. Factors that delay the resolution of symptoms include being older than 60 years old, being female, having a history of cancer, smoking, having a high BMI (higher than 30), and having more symptoms in the acute phase (more than 4 symptoms).
In addition, factors that delay the resolution of individual symptoms, such as the slower resolution of “loss of smell”, are related to women. However, in the newer mutant strains, the difference between men and women is less obvious. Slower regression of “attention or attention disorder” is associated with older age, while slower regression of “frailty” is significantly associated with all six risk factors mentioned above. The study authors also cautioned about the trial results: In the context of a pandemic with a high cumulative incidence rate, the number of people who develop persistent sequelae after 1 year may still be a potential public health problem.
Is there any chance of “complete recovery” from COVID-19? Doctors urge you to do more of “these things” during illness
Dr. Jiang Guanyu reminded the public that there is no need to feel worried or desperate because the symptoms of COVID-19 persist. In fact, a study published in “NEJM” on November 11 showed that testing anti-brain fog drugs such as “Pexidartinib” can reduce upstream damage to microglia cells in mice. It is hoped that its effect can be confirmed through human trials in the future.
However, Dr. Jiang Guanyu also said that Taiwan’s tracking system for the sequelae of COVID-19 is still not fully mature. The COVID-19 tracking clinic set up by the Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare has a very limited number of consultations; cases with more serious sequelae should be transferred to People who are cared for in general wards and later discharged are often scattered in various outpatient clinics and cannot be effectively collected. Therefore, all outpatient clinics are called on to be more vigilant.
Dr. Jiang Guanyu also encouraged the public that although COVID-19 may cause long-term problems in study and work, research results still show that the recovery of COVID-19 is promising and has an endpoint. As stated in the paper, the duration of COVID-19 is mostly About 1 year. People may also wish to change their living habits during this period, such as quitting smoking, lowering their BMI, exercising moderately and eating healthily, which may help to recover from COVID-19 as soon as possible.
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