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1-year outcomes in hospital survivors with COVID-19: a longitudinal cohort study

Lixue Huang1, Qun Yao2, Xiaoying Gu3

  • 1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Center of Respiratory Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China.

Lancet (London, England)
|August 29, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Most COVID-19 survivors recovered well physically and returned to work within a year. However, long-term COVID-19 symptoms like dyspnea and anxiety persisted, with women experiencing more severe sequelae.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Research
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pulmonology

Background:

  • The long-term health effects of COVID-19 following hospital discharge remain incompletely understood.
  • This study aimed to compare the health consequences of COVID-19 survivors at 6 and 12 months post-symptom onset.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively assess and compare the physical, functional, and mental health outcomes of COVID-19 hospital survivors at 6 and 12 months.
  • To identify risk factors for persistent symptoms and reduced quality of life in COVID-19 survivors.

Main Methods:

  • An ambidirectional cohort study involving 1276 COVID-19 survivors discharged from a Wuhan hospital.
  • Follow-up included questionnaires on symptoms and quality of life, physical examinations, functional tests (6-min walking test), and laboratory assessments.
  • Comparison with matched non-COVID-19 controls at 12 months.

Main Results:

  • The proportion of survivors with at least one sequelae symptom decreased from 68% at 6 months to 49% at 12 months.
  • Dyspnea and anxiety/depression rates slightly increased between 6 and 12 months.
  • Women showed higher odds for fatigue, anxiety/depression, and diffusion impairment compared to men.

Conclusions:

  • COVID-19 survivors demonstrated significant recovery in physical and functional status within one year, with most returning to work.
  • Despite overall improvement, a notable percentage experienced persistent symptoms, and their health status remained below that of the general population.
  • Specific symptoms like dyspnea and mental health issues warrant continued monitoring and support for COVID-19 survivors.
Abstract

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