# Almost a third of recovered Covid patients return to hospital in five months and one in eight die



## StarSong (Jan 17, 2021)

This article from The Telegraph, was picked up by Yahoo News.  Terrifying.  
https://www.yahoo.com/news/almost-third-recovered-covid-patients-180255388.html

Almost a third of recovered Covid patients will end up back in hospital within five months and one in eight will die, alarming new figures have shown.

Research by Leicester University and the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found there is a devastating long-term toll on survivors of severe coronavirus, with many people developing heart problems, diabetes and chronic liver and kidney conditions.

Out of 47,780 people who were discharged from hospital in the first wave, 29.4 per cent were readmitted to hospital within 140 days, and 12.3 per cent of the total died.

The current cut-off point for recording Covid deaths is 28 days after a positive test, so it may mean thousands more people should be included in the coronavirus death statistics.

Researchers have called for urgent monitoring of people who have been discharged from hospital.

Study author Kamlesh Khunti, professor of primary care diabetes and vascular medicine at Leicester University, said: “This is the largest study of people discharged from hospital after being admitted with Covid.

“People seem to be going home, getting long-term effects, coming back in and dying. We see nearly 30 per cent have been readmitted, and that’s a lot of people. The numbers are so large.

“The message here is we really need to prepare for long Covid. It’s a mammoth task to follow up with these patients and the NHS is really pushed at the moment, but some sort of monitoring needs to be arranged.”

The study found that Covid survivors were nearly three and a half times more likely to be readmitted to hospital, and die, in the 140 days timeframe than other hospital outpatients.

Prof Khunti said the team had been surprised to find that many people were going back in with a new diagnosis, and many had developed heart, kidney and liver problems, as well as diabetes.

He said it was important to make sure people were placed on protective therapies, such as statins and aspirin.

“We don’t know if it’s because Covid destroyed the beta cells which make insulin and you get Type 1 diabetes, or whether it causes insulin resistance, and you develop Type 2, but we are seeing these surprising new diagnoses of diabetes,” he added.

“We’ve seen studies where survivors have had MRS scans and they’ve cardiac problems and liver problems.

“These people urgently require follow up and the need to be on things like aspirin and statins.”

The new study was published on a pre-print server and is yet to be peer reviewed. However experts described the paper as “important”.

Commenting on the study on Twitter, Christina Pagel, director of the clinical operational research unit at University College London said: “This is such important work. Covid is about so much more than death. A significant burden of long-term illness after hospitalisation for Covid.”

Last year, researchers at North Bristol NHS Trust found that three quarters of virus patients treated at Bristol's Southmead Hospital were still experiencing problems three months later.

Symptoms included breathlessness, excessive fatigue and muscle aches, leaving people struggling to wash, dress and return to work.

Some patients say they have been left needing a wheelchair since contracting the virus, while others claim they can no longer walk up the stairs without experiencing chest pain.

In December, the ONS estimated that one in 10 people who catch coronavirus go on to suffer long Covid with symptoms lasting three months or more.

Overall, roughly 186,000 people in private households in England in the week beginning November 22 were living with Covid-19 symptoms that had persisted for between five and 12 weeks, the most up-to-date ONS data shows.


----------



## MarciKS (Jan 17, 2021)

I guess once they're over the Covid their bodies are still experiencing after affects like throwing a blood clot in the lung and stuff. That's why some of them are still so sick months after the virus. I wonder if any of them will get better.


----------



## Sunny (Jan 17, 2021)

Horrible news, StarSong.


----------



## tbeltrans (Jan 17, 2021)

Well, hell!  This is going to be around a loooong time.   

Tony


----------



## WhatInThe (Jan 18, 2021)

UK study. Not sure how their treatment protocols match up with others.

It's seems many are developing comorbidities the ones that increase the chances of getting the virus. Undiagnosed comorbidities prior?


----------



## Jeni (Jan 18, 2021)

WhatInThe said:


> UK study. Not sure how their treatment protocols match up with others.
> 
> It's seems many are developing comorbidities the ones that increase the chances of getting the virus. Undiagnosed comorbidities prior?


exactly what I was thinking...... There are so many people with undiagnosed issues and type 2  diabetes is a big one.....


----------



## Ruthanne (Jan 18, 2021)

Oh how depressing.


----------



## StarSong (Jan 19, 2021)

My 36 year old nephew was in very good health, got Covid in June and very nearly died from it.  (Many on SF were praying for him, and I continue to be grateful for those positive thoughts and prayers.)  

He spent about 2 weeks in ICU and has recovered completely but is now a diabetic who must inject insulin several times a day.


----------



## RnR (Jan 19, 2021)

Frightening news. Such an awful disease. Today news outlets have reported the daily death toll in the UK topped 1,600 for the first time and in the US the death toll has surpassed 400,00.

As for the long term effects, as you've described StarSong ... so devastating for many.


----------



## gennie (Jan 20, 2021)

We will be learning new things about this virus for a long, long time.  Its unpredictability is its trademark so far.


----------



## fmdog44 (Jan 20, 2021)

All this from one single incident gone wrong.


----------



## Aneeda72 (Jan 20, 2021)

fmdog44 said:


> All this from one single incident gone wrong.


If only I could answer this with a what would be deemed political statement, but I can’t so there you are.


----------



## Rosemarie (Jan 20, 2021)

Isn't it interesting that the politicians who caught the virus have recovered quickly and seem to have no long-lasting effects. Is this because they received special treatment or did they really have the virus in the first place?


----------



## Aneeda72 (Jan 20, 2021)

Rosemarie said:


> Isn't it interesting that the politicians who caught the virus have recovered quickly and seem to have no long-lasting effects. Is this because they received special treatment or did they really have the virus in the first place?


I think a lot of them did not have it really bad, but I do believe they had it and I think they go the good stuff as far as meds are concerned.  (Can remember the med name.)


----------

