Survivors of Severe COVID-19 Report Many Long-Term Symptoms

Findings show physical, mental, and cognitive symptoms one year after ICU stay for COVID-19

FRIDAY, Feb. 4, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Physical, mental, and cognitive symptoms are frequent among COVID-19 survivors one year after intensive care unit (ICU) discharge, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Hidde Heesakkers, M.D., from Radboud University in the Netherlands, and colleagues assessed the occurrence of physical, mental, and cognitive symptoms among COVID-19 survivors at one year after ICU treatment. The analysis included 246 patients (aged 16 years or older) discharged from the hospital following admission to one of 11 ICUs for COVID-19 (March 1 to July 1, 2020) who completed one-year follow-up questionnaires.

The researchers found that 74.3 percent reported physical symptoms, 26.2 percent reported mental symptoms, and 16.2 percent reported cognitive symptoms at one year. Weakened condition (38.9 percent), joint stiffness (26.3 percent), joint pain (25.5 percent), muscle weakness (24.8 percent), and myalgia (21.3 percent) were the most frequently reported new physical problems.

“Insight into the long-term outcomes among patients with COVID-19 who received ICU treatment is important for providing adequate care and aftercare tailored to the clinical needs of these patients,” the authors write.