A quarter of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 feel better a year after discharge, the researchers of the University of Leicester (UK) said.

The study, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, involved more than 2,000 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in 39 hospitals. Being female, being overweight, and needing artificial ventilation were found to be associated with a low likelihood of full recovery one year after illness. The most common long-term symptoms were fatigue, muscle pain, poor sleep and shortness of breath.

According to MedicalXpress, a total of 2,320 patients discharged from the hospital between 7 March, 2020, and 18 April, 2021, were examined in the study. Of that number, 807 (33%) participants were screened both five months and one year after discharge. The mean age of the volunteers was 69 years, 279 (36%) of them were women, and 28% had undergone invasive lung ventilation.

The 1,626 were divided into 4 groups according to symptom severity. 319 (20%) had very severe physical and mental impairment, 493 (30%) had severe physical and mental impairment, and 179 (11%) had moderate physical and cognitive impairment. Another 645 (39%) had mild mental and physical impairments. Obesity and being female were the main predictors of severe impairment and reduced quality of life during the year.

According to scientists, long-term COVID-19 may become a widespread new long-term condition. Currently, there are no specific treatments for prolonged COVID-19, so experts believe that new methods of comprehensive therapy should be developed to support this group of patients.