Most recovered coronavirus patients experience side effects of disease: study

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Bolstering other researchers’ findings, a new study found that an estimated nine in 10 recovered COVID-19 patients have experienced side effects of the disease.

The preliminary South Korean study found that more than 90% of respondents to an online survey reported suffering at least one side effect of the novel coronavirus, such as fatigue and continued loss of taste and smell, for instance. The survey involved 965 recovered patients, with 879 respondents reporting at least one side effect, Kwon Jun-wook, an official with the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), told a briefing, per Reuters.

Some 26.2% of respondents said they suffered fatigue, while concentration difficulties followed behind at 24.6%. (iStock)

More specifically, some 26.2% of respondents said they suffered fatigue, while concentration difficulties followed behind at 24.6%, the outlet reported.

The news comes after a study conducted by a researcher at St. James's Hospital and Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland, and others, found that more than half of study participants who have recovered from COVID-19 are still experiencing “persistent fatigue” related to the disease. 

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Nearly 56% of patients assessed required hospitalization while 44.5% did not. By the end, the researchers determined that more than half of participants –­­ 52.3%, to be exact –­­ reported “persistent fatigue” even after they had recovered from the illness.

What’s more, even the patients who did not require hospitalization –­­ meaning their illness was less severe –­­ still reported lasting fatigue following infection.

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“Fatigue was found to occur independent of admission to hospital, affecting both groups equally," said Dr. Liam Townsend, of St. James's Hospital and Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, who led the research.

"I think this study demonstrates that the impact of coronavirus is more than just an infectious disease. It’s also impacting other aspects of our bodies. Other studies are also demonstrating an impact on cardiovascular and neurological systems for some people. I was surprised that fatigue did not correlate with the severity of COVID infection," Dr. John Whyte, the chief medical officer of WebMD, told Fox News at the time.

"It’s something we’re going to have to watch closely and look for predictors as to who may likely experience long-term fatigue. That way, we might be able to more effectively treat it," Whyte, who was not involved in the study, added.