Transitional Changes in Fatigue-Related Symptoms Due to Long COVID: A Single-Center Retrospective Observational Study in Japan
October 2022
in “
Medicina-lithuania
”
TLDR Patients with long COVID after Omicron had fewer hospitalizations and milder symptoms but more fatigue, insomnia, and cough compared to those with Delta.
The retrospective observational study conducted at Okayama University Hospital in Japan analyzed long COVID symptoms in 353 patients, divided into groups based on the prevalent COVID-19 variant during their infection: preceding, Delta-dominant, and Omicron-dominant periods. The study found that patients infected during the Omicron-dominant period had significantly fewer hospitalizations, milder illnesses, and earlier clinic visits than those infected during the Delta-dominant period. They also experienced lower frequencies of dysosmia (12% vs. 45%), dysgeusia (14% vs. 40%), and hair loss (7% vs. 28%), but higher frequencies of fatigue (65% vs. 50%), insomnia (26% vs. 13%), and cough (20% vs. 7%). The researchers concluded that the severity of acute-phase symptoms and the long-term effects of COVID-19 are greatly influenced by the viral variants, suggesting that the manifestation of post-acute COVID-19 condition could change depending on future emerging variants.
