Three in five long Covid patients had organ damage one year later

Nearly three in five (59%) long Covid patients had persistent symptoms of organ damage for one year after initial diagnosis, according to new research.

The research, published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, included 536 participants, all of which reported extreme breathlessness, cognitive dysfunction and poor health-related quality of life.

The authors of the study wanted to look at the long-term affects of long Covid, especially on those with more severe symptoms. And while there was a general reduction in symptoms of breathlessness and cognitive dysfunction and feelings of poor health-related quality of life between months six and 12, the researchers found some participants had organ impairment up to 12 months after initial diagnosis.

One in four had impairment in two or more organs

Of the 536 patients, 331 (62%) were identified with organ impairment six months after their initial diagnosis. These patients were then followed up six months later with a 40-minute multi-organ MRI scan.

The results of this scan showed that three in 10 (29%) had multiple-organ impairment with persistent symptoms and reduced function at six and 12 months, while 59% had single organ impairment 12 months after initial diagnosis.

Symptoms of organ impairment were particularly common at six and 12 months in women of a younger age, according to study author Professor Amitava Banerjee (UCL Institute of Health Informatics).

He said: “Several studies confirm persistence of symptoms in individuals with long Covid up to one year. We now add that three in five people with long Covid have impairment in at least one organ, and one in four have impairment in two or more organs, in some cases without symptoms.”

“Impact on quality of life and time off work, particularly in healthcare workers, is a major concern for individuals, health systems and economies. Many healthcare workers in our study had no prior illness, but of 172 such participants, 19 were still symptomatic at follow-up and off work at a median of 180 days.”

Long Covid prevention policies needed

The authors of the study are now calling for further research to consider the association between symptoms, organ impairments and function in a larger cohort.

Prof Banerjee added that more must be done to ensure effective long Covid prevention policies are in place. He said: “Organ impairment in long Covid has implications for symptoms, quality of life and longer-term health, signalling the need for prevention and integrated care for long Covid patients.”