A year on, long Covid patients still struggle with health & debt: Study
long Covid symptoms
even one year after discharge. The study, which followed 315 patients across four hospitals — Apollo Health City in Hyderabad, Christian Medical College in Vellore, MGM New Bombay Hospital in Navi Mumbai, and Believers Church Medical College Hospital in Thiruvalla, Kerala — used both quantitative tracking and qualitative interviews to assess the ongoing physical and mental impact of the illness.
Titled "Prevalence and Predictors of Long Covid at 1 Year in a Cohort of Hospitalised Patients," and published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, the research found that many patients continued to report multiple symptoms affecting their daily lives at the 12-month mark. The most commonly cited issues were breathlessness, fatigue, and muscle pain.
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The patient group had a median age of 52 years and 59.4% were male. Comorbid conditions were widespread, with 38.7% of participants having diabetes and 36.8% dealing with hypertension. Breathlessness remained the most consistent symptom across all follow-ups — at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months — while the severity of muscle pain and fatigue fluctuated over time.
Beyond clinical data, the research included a qualitative component involving in-depth, face-to-face interviews with a subset of patients to better understand how long Covid had affected their quality of life and economic stability. Using open-ended questions, researchers explored health-related issues as well as the financial and social challenges faced post-hospitalisation.
"I pledged my home and property and borrowed money. My sister helped, and I pledged my wife's jewellery. Altogether, I spent Rs 10 lakh — Rs 5 lakh was covered by insurance," said a 57-year-old male patient. "Everyone feels happy after recovery, but I don't. The economic burden has left me shattered."
Another 38-year-old woman, a daily wage labourer along with her husband, shared a similar experience. "The hospital gave us some concession, but we had to buy the medicines ourselves. We spent over Rs 1 lakh. To manage that, we had to pledge silver and gold ornaments. A doctor helped us by providing costly medicines for free. Without that, we wouldn't have made it. If not for the help, the cost could have gone up to Rs 10 lakh."
Dr Suneetha Narreddy, an infectious diseases expert based in Hyderabad and part of the research team, said the findings highlight the urgent need for targeted care strategies. "This study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to manage the physical, psychological, and socioeconomic fallout of long Covid," she said.
Researchers also employed logistic regression analysis and quality-of-life assessments to evaluate the long-term impact. At the one-year point, 19.8% of patients reported mobility issues, and 16.9% said they had difficulty carrying out daily activities. The study further found that a prior ICU admission or hospital stay longer than seven days significantly increased the risk of long Covid. Symptoms such as breathlessness, cough, joint pain, and weight loss observed at six weeks post-discharge were strong indicators of persistent health challenges.
Earlier studies in India had reported long Covid prevalence rates between 30% and 37%, but those were based on shorter follow-up periods. "By extending the observation to a full year, our study provides a clearer, more nuanced picture," Dr Narreddy added.
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