More than 50 long-term effects of COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
August 2021
in “Scientific Reports”
TLDR COVID-19 leaves 80% of patients with long-term symptoms like fatigue and headaches.
This systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed 15 studies with a total of 47,910 patients to estimate the prevalence of long-term effects of COVID-19. It found that 80% of patients experienced at least one long-term symptom, with the most common being fatigue (58%), headache (44%), attention disorder (27%), hair loss (25%), and dyspnea (24%). The study calls for further research to understand these symptoms individually and collectively, and for the development of preventive and rehabilitative strategies to manage long COVID-19 effects. It also notes the need for future studies to consider factors like age, comorbidities, and disease severity, and for standardized definitions and measures to improve understanding and treatment of these long-term effects.
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