TLDR Many patients experience long-lasting symptoms like fatigue and pain after COVID-19, regardless of initial disease severity.
This systematic review from May 2021 analyzed 145 studies to understand the long-term symptoms, often referred to as "post-COVID syndrome" or "long-haul COVID-19", in patients who had recovered from the acute phase of COVID-19. The studies reported that 20.70% of long-term symptoms were related to abnormal lung functions, 24.13% were related to neurologic complaints and olfactory dysfunctions, and 55.17% were related to widespread symptoms, primarily chronic fatigue and pain. The review found that a significant number of patients experienced persistent symptoms, including fatigue, dyspnea, joint pain, chest pain, cognitive disturbances, and hair loss, even 90 days and beyond after the initial infection. The severity of persistent symptoms often correlated with the severity of the initial infection. However, even mild cases reported long-term symptoms. The review concluded that post-COVID-19 syndrome is a significant issue that requires further research and effective management strategies.
1250 citations,
August 2021 in “Scientific Reports” COVID-19 leaves 80% of patients with long-term symptoms like fatigue and headaches.
80 citations,
February 2021 in “Cureus” Many COVID-19 survivors continue to experience symptoms like fatigue and concentration problems after recovery, possibly needing rehabilitation.
213 citations,
December 2020 in “Annals of internal medicine” Many COVID-19 patients still have symptoms like fatigue and loss of taste or smell a month after diagnosis.
737 citations,
August 2020 in “Journal of Infection” Many COVID-19 survivors experience long-term symptoms but still report satisfactory quality of life and return to work.
April 2023 in “Research Square (Research Square)” Many healthcare workers who had Covid-19 suffer from long-term symptoms like hair loss and fatigue, especially women.
10 citations,
September 2022 in “Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences” Long COVID affects over half of COVID-19 survivors, causing a range of symptoms like fatigue and neurological issues, with no specific treatment yet.
April 2023 in “International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health” Older people with severe COVID-19, especially those with certain health conditions, are more likely to experience post-COVID syndrome.
353 citations,
February 2022 in “Nature Immunology” Long-haul COVID can cause lasting symptoms affecting many body systems and may be linked to ongoing inflammation and immune system issues.
January 2024 in “Diagnostics” Long COVID causes a wide range of long-lasting symptoms that change over time and are hard to diagnose and treat.
