More than 90 percent of patients who were hospitalized with severe covid still have complaints after a year. With rehabilitation, the physical condition usually recovers, but the cognitive complaints, such as memory and concentration problems, persist.
This is apparent from research by Erasmus MC, Rijndam Rehabilitation and care institution Laurens, which was published today. Since June 2020, researchers Merel Hellemons (pulmonologist) and Rita van den Berg-Emons (movement scientist) have followed nearly five hundred patients who ended up in intensive care or a nursing department due to corona. “Covid was a new infectious disease. Those people were seriously ill, so we wanted to know if it was ever going to be okay,” Hellemons says.
In the meantime, it has already become clear that relatively many corona patients have long-term complaints from an infection. Three weeks ago, UMC Groningen established that this applies to one in eight Dutch people.
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We see very little improvement. If these patients have symptoms after three months, they often still have them after twelve months. That is bad news
In addition, patients who ended up in hospital are much more likely to experience discomfort. Of these, 92 percent are not symptom-free after one year. They suffer from pain, shortness of breath after exercise, severe fatigue and memory and concentration problems. More than 60 percent are so tired that they no longer function properly. Hellemons: ,,We see very little improvement. If these patients have symptoms after three months, they often still have them after twelve months. That is bad news.”
bright spot
At the same time, the researchers also see a bright spot. With rehabilitation it is possible to restore the physical condition. Muscle strength, fitness and ability to move in the environment returned. “Even the people who were in the worst condition, sometimes lying on their stomach for weeks and had to learn to walk again, are physically on top of that. Rehabilitation is successful.” Some patients recovered in a rehabilitation center, others received physiotherapy. ,,But everyone got back to the same level, so everyone was sent to the proper rehabilitation.”
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Now we can only offer people psychological help and learn to organize their lives differently. That’s harrowing
The researchers will continue to monitor the covid patients in the coming years. They want to analyze to what extent they will continue to recover and whether they will return to work. Moreover, there is a world to be gained in the treatment of cognitive and fatigue complaints. The researchers believe that there is far too little money in the Netherlands for additional studies. Hellemons: ,,The problem is that we don’t understand well enough why the problems persist and how to solve them. Now we can only offer people psychological help and learn to organize their lives differently. That is distressing.”
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