Researchers at a major medical center in the Netherlands analyzed long term health effects following COVID-19 infections. Their findings indicate that about one in eight people who become ill with COVID-19 experience at least one symptom that persists beyond the initial recovery phase. The researchers shared these results in an in-depth piece published in a prominent medical magazine.
The study used a large data set, drawing on responses from more than 76,400 residents across the Netherlands. From March 2020 through August 2021, study participants completed a detailed questionnaire 24 times, reporting which of 23 commonly observed long COVID symptoms they experienced. During this window, more than 4,200 participants had a confirmed infection with the virus responsible for COVID-19. Among those infected, roughly 21 percent reported at least one new symptom or a worsening of a prior symptom three to five months after the initial illness. In contrast, a control group without confirmed infection showed similar changes in complaints in about 9 percent of participants.
Overall, the researchers concluded that approximately 12.7 percent of people who contract COVID-19 develop long term symptoms, equating to about one out of every eight cases studied. The most frequently reported problems included chest discomfort, breathing difficulties, muscle aches, changes in taste and smell, and persistent fatigue.