Evaluating life after COVID-19 has been an interesting process for many around the world. However, while some have a more positive perspective on the future, others who have had COVID-19 in the past continue to experience symptoms. Following years of surges in COVID-19 cases across the nation, scientists are beginning to evaluate the health conditions of those who had caught the virus and comparing their states to individuals who had not contracted COVID-19.
In a study recently published by DeVries et al., 2023, scientists evaluated the extent to which individuals experience post-COVID-19 condition, or PCC. PCC is defined as the series of symptoms associated with previously contracting COVID-19. Until the study conducted by DeVries et al., 2023, researchers were unsure how long PCC would last in individuals with the condition. The ultimate goal of the researchers was to understand the long-term effects of PCC. In order to do this, they compared subjects with PCC one year following diagnosis of the contraction with subjects who had not yet contracted COVID-19. A number of health outcomes were evaluated in the participants, including cardiovascular and respiratory issues, over the course of one year.
The results of the study showed that individuals with PCC developed a number of health issues compared to individuals who did not contract COVID-19. These subjects had developed cardiac arrhythmias, ischemic stroke, pulmonary embolism, heart failure, coronary heart disease, asthma, etc. In addition to these issues, it was noted that people with PCC had a higher mortality rate overall, with an average of 16.4 per 1000 individuals.
There are multiple implications for the results acquired from this study. One relatively large implication is that individuals who contracted COVID-19 should be monitored more closely over a longer period of time, especially if they are still experiencing symptoms or have been diagnosed with PCC. Conducting more research regarding the long-term effects of COVID-19 could be highly beneficial for acquiring a better understanding of the virus as a whole.
Thank you so much for reading!
-Aprile Bertomo
Reference:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2802095