+Originally published by 2 Minute Medicine® (view original article). Reused on AccessMedicine with permission.
+1. The proportion of patients with one or more symptom sequelae significantly decreased from 6 months (68%) to 12 months (49%).
+2. 88% of patients had returned to employment within 12 months of hospital discharge.
+Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)
+Although COVID-19-related hospitalization is common, little is known about the long-term complications among COVID-19 survivors. One study suggests that discharged patients have persisting symptoms at 6 months, contributing to a poor health-related quality of life. However, there has been a lack of studies reporting on outcomes after 12 months. This longitudinal cohort study aimed to 1) assess the 6- and 12-month health outcomes of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 and 2) compare their 12-month health status to non-COVID-19 patients. The primary outcomes for this study were patient-reported symptoms, modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) score, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and 6-minute walking distance (6MWD), while secondary outcomes included lung function, hospitalization after discharge, and employment status at 6 and 12 months. According to results, steady recovery was noted among COVID-19 survivors at the 12-month period, with most returning to baseline activity levels. In addition, the proportion of patients with one or more symptom sequelae was significantly lower in the 12-month follow-up than at 6-months. A major limitation of this study is that it did not stratify results by age. This is important since physical and functional recovery may vary based on patients’ age and comorbidities.
+In-depth [retrospective cohort]: Between Jan 7 and May 29, 2020, 2469 patients were discharged from the Jan Yin-tan hospital after recovering from COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. Only 52% (n=1276) completed both the 6- and 12-month follow-up and were included in the final analysis. Median age among patients was 59.0 years (interquartile range [IQR] 49.0-67.0) and the majority (53%, n=681) were male.
+The primary outcome of at least one sequelae symptom was significantly higher at 6 months than at 12 months (68% vs. 49%, p<0.0001). However, the opposite was true for mMRC-based dyspnea (26% at 6 months vs. 30% at 12 months, p=0.014) and HRQOL, with more patients having anxiety or depression at the 12-month follow-up (26%) than at the 6-month follow-up (23%, p=0.015). The proportion of patients with 6MWD below the lower limit of normal was slightly greater at 6 months (14%) than at 12 months (12%, p=0.033). Regarding key secondary outcomes, lung function did not differ from 6 to 12 months (p>0.05), with impairment found in 23% of patients in severity scale 3 and 54% of patients in scale 5-6 at 12-months. Healthcare use within one year of discharge from the hospital was limited, with 18% patients accessing outpatient clinics, 13% reporting re-hospitalization, and 1% reporting a visit to the emergency department. Finally, majority of patients (88%) returned to work within 12 months of discharge. Overall, COVID-19 survivors had good health trajectory and functional recovery at 12 months after hospitalization. However, it may be beneficial to continue to monitor these patients for lasting complications past the 12-month timepoint.
+©2021 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. All rights reserved. No works may be reproduced without expressed written consent from 2 Minute Medicine, Inc. Inquire about licensing here. No article should be construed as medical advice and is not intended as such by the authors or by 2 Minute Medicine, Inc.