Freiburg (dpa/lsw) – Even six to twelve months after a corona infection, around one in four people still suffers from significant long-term consequences – and this affects their health and ability to work. This was the result of a survey commissioned by the state government of around 12,000 previously infected people from Baden-Württemberg aged between 18 and 65.
“Although we had suspected the trend, we were very surprised at how many younger people with initially uncomplicated acute Sars-CoV-2 infection are at risk for Long Covid,” said study leader Winfried Kern from the University Hospital Freiburg on Friday. The study was published in the British Medical Journal.
The most common complaints, even months after an infection, were chronic tiredness and exhaustion, concentration difficulties or memory disorders, breathing difficulties and shortness of breath, altered sense of smell as well as anxiety and depressive symptoms, each with more than 20 percent. Even if one has to assume a possible bias through selective participation in the study, a considerable burden of disease still remains, according to lead author Raphael Peter from the University of Ulm.
The universities of Heidelberg and Tübingen were also involved in the study. It was created with the help of the local health authorities in the vicinity of the universities and is to be continued for two years from winter 2022. Possible causes and the long-term course of the symptoms should be further researched. The state government has so far funded the study with 2.3 million euros.