Some COVID-19 patients had symptoms 6 months after diagnosis, survey shows

Some people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 suffered symptoms such as headaches and hair loss six months later, a survey by a Japanese health ministry team showed Wednesday.

The team, headed by Koichi Fukunaga, professor at Keio University, looked into 522 people who were hospitalized with COVID-19 between January last year and February this year.

The survey showed that 21% of respondents had a sense of fatigue six months after the diagnosis and that 61% had such a feeling during the period between the diagnosis and the discharge from hospital.

Taste and smell disorders were reported by 9% and 7% of respondents, respectively, even after six months had passed. Such disorders were perceived by 38% and 37% of respondents, respectively, during the period from their diagnosis until they left hospital.

The survey showed that 9% had headaches, 11% felt declines in cognitive ability and 10% suffered hair loss, six months after they tested positive for the coronavirus.

During the period between diagnosis and discharge, 35% had headaches, 26% felt a drop in cognitive ability and 17% suffered hair loss.

The figures for symptoms reported by the respondents three and six months after their diagnosis were almost same.

Some 80% of respondents said their health had returned six months after testing positive for the virus, according to the survey.