Individuals hospitalised with COVID-19 in Bangladesh are at higher risk of diabetes, respiratory, and cardiovascular complications in the following weeks of hospitalisation, says a new study.
COVID-19 survivors over the age of 60 are twice as likely to develop cardiovascular and other complications when compared to the age group younger than 40 years according to the study findings shared in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The long-term effects of the disease also seem to differ by gender. The prevalence of developing post-COVID complications was found to be 1.5 to 4 times higher in females than in males, the study said. Cardiovascular disease includes --hypertension, high pulse rate, edema, and neurological disease included peripheral neuropathy or numbness, tingling sensation, and pain in the hands and feet, taste, and smell abnormalities.
The first of its kind in Asia, the study revealed that COVID-19 survivors carry a high burden of the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection, often described as post-COVID syndrome (PCS) or long COVID.
Health specialists who conducted the study shared the findings at a dissemination seminar titled 'Long-Term Sequelae of COVID-19: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study in Dhaka, Bangladesh' organised by the icddr,b and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
A guideline titled "Long COVID Clinical Management Guideline for Physicians" was also presented at the seminar.
The findings, based on the first five months of participant follow-ups, were recently published in The Lancet Regional Health Southeast Asia. The study was funded by the USAID.
Dr Farzana Afroze, Associate Scientist, Nutrition and Clinical Service Division, icddr,b and the principal investigator of the study presented key findings at the event.
The study was conducted at two COVID-19-designated hospitals in Dhaka between December 15, 2020 and October 30, 2021.
The researchers recruited clinically recovered individuals older than 18 years with RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 who sought care from the study hospitals with or without hospitalisation, according to a statement of icddr,b.
The 362 enrolled participants were given comprehensive in-person follow-ups at one, three and five-month post-recovery intervals to evaluate the presence or trajectories of PCS symptoms which include neurological, cardiac, respiratory outcomes, and mental health. The study participants will be followed up for 24 months, it added.
Long-term complications in hospitalised patients and those needing intensive care were 2-3 times more likely than in non-hospitalised patients.
The new occurrence of diabetes was 10 cases per 1,000 persons among hospitalised patients, compared to none in the non-hospitalised group. Similarly, the new occurrence of renal impairment (high creatinine and proteinuria) and the increased liver enzyme were considerably high among COVID-19 survivors.
Most complications decreased over time in both groups, however, shortness of breath, fast pulse rate, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression did not decline significantly in the non-hospitalised group, even five months after recovery. The results highlight the need for continuous follow-up and care of COVID-19 survivors.
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