Most patients who have been hospitalized with Covid-19 still suffer from a variety of symptoms - including fatigue and difficulty sleeping - six months after infection, a new study from China has found.

A study of more than 1,700 patients treated in Wuhan City, the initial epicenter of the pandemic, showed that 76% had at least one symptom a month after leaving the hospital. The findings show that even people recovering from Covid-19 can experience long-term health effects from their period with the coronavirus, which has infected more than 90 million people worldwide.

The study, the largest of its kind conducted to date, was published in the medical journal The Lancet. According to the research, it was found that fatigue and difficulty sleeping were the most common post-Covid symptoms, which occur in 63% and 26% of patients, respectively, six months after the onset of initial symptoms.

The disease can also have long-term psychological complications, with anxiety or depression reported among 23% of patients. Patients who were more seriously ill tend to have persistent evidence of lung damage.

"Because Covid-19 is such a young disease, we are just beginning to understand some of its long-term effects on patient health." Bin Cao of China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Capital Medical University, who led the study team.

"Our analysis shows that most patients continue to live with at least some of the effects of the virus after discharge from the hospital and stresses the need for ongoing care, especially for those experiencing severe infections. Our work also underscores the importance of conducting more studies. "in larger populations in order to understand the full spectrum of effects that Covid-19 may have on humans," the statement said.

Long-term health effects of Covid-19

Scientists around the world are studying the long-term effects of the t virus , commonly referred to as "long Covid" symptoms. The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, and chest pain as the most common long-term symptoms. Others, such as difficulty thinking and concentrating - known as "brain fog", depression and headaches, are also reported.

Source: CNN, British Medical Association