More than 60% of COVID-19 patients suffered aftereffects: survey

Around 65 percent of patients infected with COVID-19 said they experienced at least three different types of post-COVID-19 symptoms, according to a local survey Friday.

Myongji Hospital conducted a survey among 748 patients between March 21 and April 11 out of the 1,077 people who visited its post-COVID-19 care center.

“Most of the patients who visited the post-COVID-19 care center here said they suffered from at least two or more aftereffects,” Myongji Hospital COVID-19 Sequelae Clinic Director Ha Eun-hye said.

According to the survey, those who had only one clinical sequela accounted for some 20 percent, or 146 people, of all those polled. Those who experienced two post-COVID-19 symptoms reached 114, accounting for some 15 percent of the total. Those with three came to 429.

Of the 429, 18 percent reported exhibiting three of them, while 16 percent said they suffered from four.

The number of patients who said they were plagued by five or up to six lingering symptoms reached 99 and 70, or 13 percent and 9 percent, respectively.

The most common symptom was coughing, which accounted for 31 percent. It was followed by weakness and fatigue with 13 percent and bronchial trouble with 9 percent.

Those patients who complained of dyspnea, or shortness of breath, also accounted for 9 percent, while those who had esophageal inflammation and gastritis accounted for 8 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

Ha said, “it is important to take a multidisciplinary approach when treating COVID-19 patients and have specialists to handle them, especially when their conditions deteriorate.”


By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)