The efforts to control the COVID-19 pandemic, while maintaining a relative normal life in all the countries of the world, is an extremely delicate balance that is broken every time a new variant appears, or that governments release too many restrictions. very fast, thinking about the economy.
There is also the issue of returning to normal life for all patients who had complicated conditions, such as those who fell into the Intensive Care Units (ICU), which required special treatments to keep them alive.
New research suggests that this last group in particular have not been able to return to their normal lives until a year after being hospitalized. The research highlights that more attention should be paid to the long-term effects of the virus for those patients who required placement in intensive care.
An analysis of 246 patients admitted to intensive care in the Netherlands while they had COVID-19, with an average age of 61, showed that almost three-quarters (74.3%) were still experiencing physical problems 12 months after his admission to the hospital.
This is another reminder of the risk of getting COVID-19 and its long-term effects, called prolonged COVID by specialists. This means that you continue to have symptoms or sequelae months after the condition has passed. According previous investigations , there are more than 200 symptoms associated with the condition and shows the importance of long-term monitoring of the effects of COVID-19.
Long-term effects
“This study shows the severe impact that an ICU admission has on the lives of former patients who had COVID-19,” says lead researcher Marieke Zegers, from Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. “Even after a year, half of them are tired or experience a lack of energy to fully resume their work.”
38.9% reported feeling weak one year after ICU; 26.2% stated they had mental health problems; For their part, 16.2% mentioned cognitive problems, such as poor memory or difficulty concentrating.
Physical problems mentioned by study participants included pain, muscle weakness, and shortness of breath. As for mental problems, about one in five reported feelings of anxiety or post-traumatic stress.
“Post-ICU symptoms can be divided into the physical, mental, and cognitive domain and are associated with higher 1-year mortality, higher health care costs, and lower quality of life,” the researchers write in their study. published article.
