{"id":434,"date":"2020-06-11T05:02:00","date_gmt":"2020-06-11T05:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/covidqanda.org\/?p=434"},"modified":"2020-11-09T05:04:31","modified_gmt":"2020-11-09T05:04:31","slug":"is-anyone-collecting-data-on-how-many-of-those-that-survive-are-permanently-injured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/covidqanda.org\/?p=434","title":{"rendered":"Is anyone collecting data on how many of those that \u201csurvive\u201d are permanently injured?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Question:<\/strong> Well this opinion<\/a> in the NY Times, \u201cOur Next Crisis Will Be Caring for Survivors of Covid-19\u201d, is really depressing. And my 9\/11 health friend has been pointing this out to me for weeks \u2014 that survival doesn\u2019t mean \u201call better\u201d. Is anyone collecting data on how many of those that \u201csurvive\u201d are permanently injured?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Answer: <\/strong>So true; Survival doesn\u2019t mean \u201call better.\u201d Over the last month or two, there have been more and more news reports on this issue, especially the issue of long-term challenges<\/a> experienced by patients<\/a> coming off of ventilators<\/a> and out of the ICU<\/a>. This review article<\/a>, recently published in Science of the Total Environment <\/em>(a journal I was not previously familiar with), discusses the need for longitudinal cohort studies to understand the needs of COVID-19 survivors. It also offers a helpful visualization of the ways in which COVID infection could have long-term physical ramifications (Figure 1<\/strong>). Meanwhile, guidance published by the UK\u2019s National Health Service last week, \u201cAfter-care needs of in-patients recovering from COVID-19<\/a>\u201d, provides the best synthesis I\u2019ve seen of the ongoing issues and needs of patients who survive COVID-19. For example, the guidance notes that post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), \u201can amalgamation of persistent physical, cognitive and psychological impairments, [has been found to] present in 56% of patients at 12 months following prolonged ventilation.\u201d Check out the guidance for more evidence-informed detail!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I think you\u2019ll be heartened to know that there are a number of longitudinal cohort studies being planned and currently recruiting study participants to understand long-term effects of COVID among people who recover. Here are a few longitudinal cohort studies in the works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n