COVID-19, Underestimating It... People Who Paid a Heavy Price

Fatigue, Headache, and Loss of Smell Reported... Post-COVID Sequelae Research Underway Domestically

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jung] Interest in the aftereffects of COVID-19 is increasing amid the suffering caused by the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) pandemic.

According to the German daily Stuttgarter Zeitung on the 2nd (local time), three people who had contracted COVID-19 were found to suffer from aftereffects such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell even after being declared fully recovered. Daniela Miller said in an interview, "After being hospitalized and treated for COVID-19, I wanted to recover at home, but severe fatigue and shortness of breath continue to trouble me." Bianca Prin Ken, whose husband and children were also infected with COVID-19, said, "All my family members except me recovered with only mild symptoms, but my sense of smell has not fully returned," adding, "Even after full recovery, I can hardly smell anything." Vanessa Rubik, who was infected by her grandfather, said, "Even after recovery, I suffer from headaches and loss of taste and smell."

The Innsbruck Clinic in Austria, which investigated and published findings on the long-term effects of COVID-19, reported last month that more than half of recovered COVID-19 patients still had problems six weeks after discharge. According to this study, among 86 patients aged 50 to 70 treated at Innsbruck University Hospital and others, 50% experienced shortness of breath during exercise, and 15% complained of coughing. It was also found that it takes a considerable amount of time for lung function to fully recover. According to research from King's College London, data collected from 8,065 people who tested positive for COVID-19 showed that one in ten reported still feeling unwell 30 days after infection. These individuals experienced fatigue (47%), headaches (32%), olfactory abnormalities (25%), breathing problems (24%), dizziness (18%), diarrhea (11%), and skin rashes (8%) after recovery.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 80% of COVID-19 infections showed mild symptoms but were often found to have lasting effects. In particular, severe COVID-19 patients require more time to recover compared to patients with other types of pneumonia. For elderly patients, the longer the use of ventilators, the harder it is to rebuild muscles, and it may cause damage to other organs. There is also a risk that bacteria can enter the lungs through the ventilator tube, spreading bacterial pneumonia in addition to viral pneumonia. Medical experts advise continuous monitoring after recovery because the recovery process and accompanying illnesses vary from person to person.

Research on COVID-19 aftereffects is also underway domestically. According to an online survey conducted by Professor Kim Shin-woo’s infectious diseases team at Kyungpook National University Hospital, nine out of ten recovered COVID-19 patients reported having one or more aftereffects. Among 965 survey respondents, 879 (91.1%) reported aftereffects. The most common aftereffect was fatigue (26.2%), followed by decreased concentration (24.6%). There were also cases reporting psychological and mental aftereffects, as well as loss of smell and taste.

Kwon Jun-wook, Deputy Director of the Central Disease Control Headquarters, said, "In addition to hospitals in the Daegu and Gyeongbuk regions, where there were many patients, 16 medical institutions including the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases are conducting a joint investigation on mid- to long-term complications," adding, "The National Medical Center plans to conduct clinical analysis through lung computed tomography (CT) and blood samples by monitoring 30 patients over a long period."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.