Known with different names, post-Covid-19 or Covid-19 long-haul syndrome has patients reporting lasting symptoms such as mood disorders, fatigue and perceived cognitive impairment that can negatively affect return to normal life even after recovery.
One of the world's first multidisciplinary programs established to evaluate and treat patients with the post-Covid-19 syndrome has published its findings in the journal 'Mayo Clinic Proceedings.'
Of the 100 patients in the study, 80 per cent reported unusual fatigue, while more than half had respiratory complaints and a similar percentage also reported troubles with thinking, commonly known as 'brain fog.' The patients were evaluated around 93 days after infection.
Mayo Clinic's medical director said that most patients in the study had no pre-existing comorbidities before infection and did not have to be hospitalised during their Covid-19 recovery.
However, more than one-third of these study participants reported difficulties performing basic activities of daily living, and only 1 in 3 patients had returned to unrestricted work activity.
As the pandemic continues, researchers say more patients may experience such symptoms long after infection, and health care providers need to be prepared for this to extend necessary care.