Three new studies show the widespread impact of Long COVID. The first study, published in Critical Care Medicine, found that 64% of critically ill patients suffered from ongoing impairments 1 year after the initial infection. About 57% of these patients reported that their persistent symptoms were physical in nature. The other most common types of health problems were respiratory (49%), psychiatric (24%), and cognitive (15%).
The second study demonstrated that veterans with COVID-19 were three times more likely than those without COVID-19 to experience a preventable hospitalization in the month following the infection. Veterans remain at a higher risk for hospitalization for up to one year after a confirmed COVID-19 infection.
The third study showed that one-third of people who experienced a COVID-19 infection had prolonged symptoms. The proportion of Americans reporting Long COVID has remained stable for the last year, indicating the disease will continue to harm quality of life unless better methods of prevention or treatment are adopted.
Taken together, the new research supports an increasingly large body of evidence showing the burden of long COVID on many Americans.
