A recent study by UC San Francisco researchers looked at COVID-19 patients in the United States who had some of the longest and most difficult battles with the virus. The findings showed that approximately two-thirds of these patients experienced ongoing physical, mental, and cognitive issues for up to a year after their initial diagnosis.
The study, published on April 10, 2024, in the journal Critical Care Medicine, revealed the long-term effects of COVID-19 on survivors.cal Care Medicine, shows the life-changing impact of SARS-CoV-2 on these individuals, the majority of whom required mechanical ventilators for an average of one month.
Too ill to be released to a skilled nursing home or rehabilitation facility, these patients were instead transferred to long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs). These hospitals specialize in helping patients come off ventilators and providing rehabilitation care, and they played a vital role in the pandemic response.
Out of the 156 study participants, 64% reported experiencing persistent impairment after one year, including ph
Physical (57%), respiratory (49%), psychiatric (24%), and cognitive (15%) were the most common medical problems experienced by those who became seriously ill with COVID early in the pandemic. Almost half, or 47%, had more than one type of problem. Additionally, 19% continued to require supplemental oxygen.
The long-term follow-up helps to illustrate the extent of the medical problems experienced by those who became seriously ill with COVID early in the pandemic.
“We have millions of survivors of the most severe and prolonged COVID illness globally,” said the study’s first author, Anil N. Makam, MD, MAS, an associate professor of medicine at UCSF. “Our study is important to understand their recovery and long-term impairments, and to provide a nuanced understanding of their experiences.”The researchers enrolled 156 individuals who had been moved to one of nine LTACHs in Nebraska, Texas, Georgia, Kentucky, and Connecticut between March 2020 and February 2021 after contracting COVID. A year after their hospitalization, they were interviewed via telephone or online. The group had an average total hospital and LTACH stay of approximately two months, and most were previously healthy before contracting COVID. Their average age was 65.D, the individuals also experienced lasting issues from their extended hospital stays, such as painful pressure ulcers and nerve damage that restricted the use of their limbs.
“Many of the individuals we spoke with were particularly troubled by these complications, so preventing them from occurring in the first place is crucial for recovery,” Makam explained.
While 79% reported that they had not fully regained their previous level of health, 99% had been able to return home, and 60% of those who had previously been employed said they had resumed working.
They were extremely thankful to have survived, often referring to their survival as a “miracle.” However, their recuperation t
It took longer than anticipated.
The results highlight that it is common for individuals who have survived a serious illness to experience ongoing health issues.
“The lasting difficulties we observed are typical for survivors of extended critical illness, not just COVID, and are best treated through comprehensive rehabilitation,” Makam stated.
