PARIS — Most long-term COVID symptoms disappear within a year for others who had mild initial infections, a giant Israeli study said Thursday, the effects of which were hailed as “reassuring. “
At least another 17 million people in Europe suffered long-term COVID symptoms months after recovering from their initial infection in 2020 and 2021, according to World Health Organization models.
However, much about the condition has not been clear, how long it lasts.
Researchers in Israel analyzed the medical records of approximately two million people of all ages who were tested for COVID in the country between March 2020 and October 2021.
The effects covered previous COVID variants, Delta adding, but not the more recently discovered Omicron variants.
The researchers reviewed records, which were provided through Maccabi Healthcare Services, for more than 70 other symptoms that have been linked to prolonged COVID.
They excluded patients who had more severe illness and added those who were hospitalized, which previous studies found carries an increased long-term risk of COVID.
For mild cases, the study found a particularly higher risk of several conditions, including loss of smell and taste, breathing problems, weakness, palpitations, strep throat, dizziness and concentration and memory problems known as “brain fog. “
However, most symptoms disappeared within 12 months.
“There are a small number of other people who still suffer shortness of breath or weakness for a year after COVID,” said Maytal Bivas-Benita, a researcher at Israel’s KI Research Institute and co-author of the study.
The study, published in the journal BMJ, also found that vaccinated patients had a lower risk of respiratory disorders, the most common symptom, compared to unvaccinated cases.
Children, on the other hand, had fewer physical disorders than adults and recovered to the fullest in less than a year.
Bivas-Benita told AFP she was “encouraged” by the findings, especially after being concerned about how long symptoms might persist.
“Most patients will be fine after a year,” he said.
The study’s lead author, Barak Mizrahi, said he hopes the studies will help reduce uncertainty for doctors looking for whether their patients’ symptoms are related to COVID.
Michael Absoud, a paediatrician and clinical lecturer at King’s College London involved in the study, called the findings “reassuring. “
This confirms that the vast majority of young people with prolonged COVID symptoms have “a very good recovery,” he said.
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