BHUBANESWAR: One in three persons, who had tested positive for Covid-19 last year in Odisha, had long Covid, notwithstanding the vaccination status, a study by AIIMS-Bhubaneswar has found.
The study conducted from April to September 2021 revealed the overall prevalence of long Covid among 29.2 per cent of patients. As per the subgroup analysis, the prevalence of long Covid was 62.5 pc among severe and critical cases, significantly higher than the mild and moderate cases at 23.4 pc. Around 34 pc double vaccinated people taken in the study had long Covid.
Long Covid is the signs and symptoms that last for weeks or months after having a confirmed or suspected case of Covid-19. It can affect the patient’s whole body, cause damage to organs, and the symptoms can change and come and go over time.
The most common symptom reported was fatigue with 64.8 pc, followed by cough 32.4 pc. Only three participants reported cognitive dysfunction (brain fog). The limitation of daily activity following long Covid was reported among 28.9 pc participants. While 7.7 pc patients experienced the symptoms a lot, healthcare practitioners were consulted for long Covid by 34.5 pc participants. However, around 92.3 pc perceived the symptoms to be not severe.
The study was conducted among 487 individuals, aged 18 to 88 years. The participants included 199 women. “Of the 287 vaccinated and 119 unvaccinated people, long Covid symptoms were reported among 98 and 24 respectively. Similarly, of the 81 vaccinated people, 20 suffered long Covid. But it should be viewed cautiously as consequences could have been worse had the people not taken vaccines,” said associate professor of the Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine Dr Arvind Kumar Singh.
Around 10 pc participants had a history of pre-existing diabetes or hypertension and 11 pc had a history of some form of substance use which included alcohol and tobacco. Clinical features of the participants revealed that the majority of them had one to four symptoms during the acute phase, and the most common symptoms were fever and cough.
“Although long Covid is studied extensively all around the world, research from India is limited. Our findings are close to that of the Office of National Statistics, UK, which had estimated around one in five respondents (21 pc) exhibited symptoms for five weeks or longer. The study is important because it will help prioritise health care of at-risk population and design interventions,” Dr Singh added.