"As an exception during this period of health crisis, some of the publications mentioned are at the time of writing still in pre-publication, undergoing peer review and subject to change. The results of this pre-print study should be interpreted with utmost caution."
A new pre-print study found that three-quarters of a cohort of patients who were treated for COVID-19 at Bristol's Southmead Hospital were continuing to experience ongoing symptoms three months later.
The findings are a part of the preliminary results of the DIagnostic and Severity markers of COVID-19 to Enable Rapid triage (DISCOVER) project led by researchers at North Bristol NHS Trust.
Eighty-one of 110 patients discharged from the hospital were still experiencing symptoms including breathlessness, excessive fatigue and muscle aches when they reported back to clinic. Several patients also experiencing poor quality of life and had difficulties performing daily activities such as washing, dressing or going back to work.
However, many of the patients reported that their initial symptoms of fever, cough and loss of sense of smell had improved. Most discharged patients showed no evidence of lung scarring or compromised lung function.
Dr Rebecca Smith, Deputy Director of research and innovation at North Bristol NHS Trust, said: "There's still so much we don't know about the long-term effects of coronavirus, but this study has given us vital new insight into what challenges patients may face in their recovery and will help us prepare for those needs."
