Picture of a screen showing a CT scan of the lungs of a COVID-19 patient, taken at the Intensive Care Unit of the Clinica Desa hospital in Cali, Colombia, on May 18, 2020, during the novel coronavirus pandemic Photograph:( AFP )
Based on MRI scanning, doctors found abnormalities in lungs of 60 per cent people who had contracted COVID-19
Britain’s Oxford University on Monday claimed that in some cases, COVID-19 symptoms persist for last way longer than previously thought.
Initial findings from a study suggest that symptoms such as breathlessness, anxiety, fatigue, and depression continue to appear months after contracting the virus. The study is observing the long-term impact of COVID-19. Additionally, scientists found abnormalities in the organs of many coronavirus survivors, and believe that continued inflammation may continue to be a factor for people who had developed COVID-19.
The study has not been peer-reviewed by additional scientists so far, but has been published on the MedRxiv website.
According to the Oxford study, two to three months after developing coronavirus, at least 64 per cent patients suffered breathlessness, while 55 per cent reported fatigue.
Based on MRI scanning, doctors found abnormalities in lungs of 60 per cent people who had contracted COVID-19. Similar anomalies were noticed in the kidneys of 29 per cent patients, in the hearts of 26 per cent patients, and livers of at least 10 per cent.
“These findings underscore the need to further explore the physiological processes associated with Covid-19 and to develop a holistic, integrated model of clinical care for our patients after they have been discharged from hospital,” Betty Raman, a doctor at Oxford’s Radcliffe Department of Medicine, one of the leaders of the research, told Reuters.
“The abnormalities detected ... strongly correlated with serum markers of inflammation… This suggests a potential link between chronic inflammation and ongoing organ damage among survivors”, Raman added.
Last week, Britain’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) showed prolonged illness and symptoms after COVID-19, referred to as “Long Covid”. It can involve any or all of the symptoms of coronavirus, which could affect various parts of the body.