(HealthDay News) — Organ impairment can persist 1 year after COVID-19 diagnosis, according to a study published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.
At 1 year, 59% of patients studied had impairment in at least 1 organ, and 27% had impairment in 2 or more organs.
Researchers conducted this prospective cohort study to examine the prevalence of organ impairment and other symptoms at 6 months and 12 months after a COVID-19 diagnosis.
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A total of 536 patients completed a baseline assessment at a median of 6 months post-COVID-19. Sixty-two percent of those patients (n=331) had organ impairment or incidental findings and were followed for a median of 196 days.
The researchers found that symptoms persisted at 1 year, but patients had reduced symptom burden at follow-up. They had a median of 10 symptoms at 6 months and 3 symptoms at 12 months.
At 6 months, 38% of patients had extreme breathlessness, 48% had cognitive dysfunction, and 57% had poor health-related quality of life. At 12 months, 30% of patients had extreme breathlessness, 38% had cognitive dysfunction, and 45% had poor health-related quality of life. These symptoms were associated with female sex, younger age, and single-organ impairment.
Impairment in 1 or more organs was seen in 69% of patients at baseline and 59% of patients at follow-up. Impairment in 2 or more organs was seen in 23% of patients at baseline and 27% at follow-up.
“Organ impairment persisted in 59% of 331 individuals followed up at 1 year post COVID-19, with implications for symptoms, quality of life, and longer-term health, signaling the need for prevention and integrated care of long COVID,” the study authors concluded.
Several authors are employees of Perspectum. One author disclosed financial ties to AstraZeneca.
