A survey carried out with Brazilians reveals that almost 60% of people who contracted covid-19 developed the disease for a long time, with symptoms that remained for at least three months after the acute phase. Carried out by the Solidarity Research Network in Public Policies and Society of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), the study used an online questionnaire aimed at people who had contracted the disease. For the analysis, 1,230 participants were considered who had a diagnosis of covid-19 confirmed by PCR test. Of this total, 720 people maintained symptoms for three months or more, and 496 said they had not fully recovered at the time of the survey. Prolonged effects of the disease were more frequent among the unvaccinated. In addition, more than 80% of people with long-term covid-19 required health services because of persistent symptoms. Fatigue, anxiety, memory loss and hair loss were some of the main symptoms pointed out. More than 50 persistent symptoms were cited, grouped into ten categories: cardiovascular/coagulation, dermatological, endocrine-metabolic, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, renal, respiratory, neurological and mental health, in addition to general symptoms such as pain and dizziness. The results of the study were published in January. Among the researchers who signed the technical note are Claudio Maierovitch, Vaneide Pedi, Erica Tatiane da Silva and Mariana Verotti, from Fiocruz Brasília, in addition to Rafael Moreira and Marcos Pedrosa, from Fiocruz Pernambuco. The publication analyzes the symptoms of long-lasting covid-19 in Brazil and access to diagnosis and treatment.“The lack of data makes it impossible to design strategies to alert the population about the risks of developing this form of covid-19 and services assistance to care for people who suffer from prolonged after-effects”, says the technical team responsible for the research. The aim of the study was precisely to contribute to filling in the gaps in these data. Monitoring protocols for patients with persistent sequelae, investments in rehabilitation activities with a multidisciplinary approach and special attention to long-term covid-19 in the most socially vulnerable populations are among the recommendations of the document. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 10% to 20% of patients considered free of Sars-CoV-2 and the acute illness may have long-term Covid-19, that is, between 2.8 million and 5.6 million of Brazilians may need health care for suffering from this form of the disease. This condition refers to a variety of symptoms that remain or even appear for the first time up to three months after infection with Sars-Cov-2, symptoms that cannot be explained by other reasons and that bring harm to health and quality of life. life. Although the exact mechanism that leads to the long covid-19 is still unknown, the disease is believed to be associated with the inflammatory process caused by the virus, which starts in the lung and spreads to other organs and tissues. Although more frequently observed in the elderly, women and critically ill patients in the acute phase, long-term covid can manifest itself in anyone. Treatment varies according to the symptoms presented, and the outcome depends on factors such as the severity of these symptoms, the existence of other chronic diseases, and access to care and rehabilitation. “A recent study suggests that vaccines and, above all, booster doses, can alleviate the condition or reduce the chances of developing long-term covid-19”, highlights the technical note, reinforcing that the population must be informed about the importance of avoiding successive infections and the risks of developing sequelae.
Agência Brasil
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