FILE PHOTO: Phlebotomist Jenee Wilson talks to Melissa Cruz, a Valley Medical Center emergency technician who recovered from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) she contracted from a patient, while finishing donating convalescent plasma at the Center Seattle Blood Central. Northwest during the outbreak in Seattle, Washington, USA, April 17, 2020. The plasma from the recovered patients will be used in an experimental treatment study for current coronavirus patients. REUTERS / Lindsey Wasson
(Reuters) – Young and previously healthy adults can take weeks to fully recover from even a mild COVID-19 infection, and about a fifth of patients under the age of 35 report not returning to their usual state of health until 21 days after testing positive, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A telephone survey of 13 states of symptomatic adults with mild COVID-19 found that 35% had not returned to their usual state of health when interviewed two to three weeks after the test, the CDC reported in the Weekly Morbidity Report and mortality on Friday.
Cough, fatigue and shortness of breath were some of the symptoms reported during the tests that persisted even weeks later, according to the report.
The findings indicate that recovery can be prolonged even in young adults without chronic medical conditions, justifying public health messages directed at populations that might not perceive COVID-19 as a serious illness.
Between April 15 and June 25, telephone interviews were conducted with a random sample of people over the age of 18 who were tested for COVID-19 on an outpatient visit, the CDC said.
Interviews were conducted 14-21 days after the test date, and patients were asked about symptoms during the test, whether they had returned to their usual health condition, and whether they had a chronic medical condition.
Among the 292 people interviewed, 274 reported experiencing one or more symptoms at the time of the test. Among symptomatic respondents who reported not having returned to their usual state of health, 26% were between 18 and 34 years old, 32% were between 35 and 49 years old, and 47% were over 50 years old.
The researchers said social distancing, frequent handwashing, and consistent and correct use of facial coatings in public should be encouraged to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Report from Vishwadha Chander in Bangalore; Edition by Anil D’Silva
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