Study finds 80 per cent of recovered Covid-19 patients in Hong Kong suffer from at least one lingering symptom, with gut bacteria playing critical role
- Researchers at Chinese University also say nearly a third suffer from more than three symptoms
- Imbalances in gut bacteria have been linked to the severity of the disease, which is a cause for concern as 40 per cent of the population suffers from the condition
The study by a Chinese University team examined the role that imbalances in gut bacteria – or dysbiosis – played in recovery. They had earlier determined the seriousness of the illness correlated with how well or poorly the bacteria was balanced. Given 40 per cent of the local population suffered from dysbiosis, residents were susceptible to contracting severe bouts of Covid-19 and experiencing long-term symptoms even after recovery, it said.
The most common lingering symptoms were fatigue, poor memory, difficulty in sleeping, shortness of breath and hair loss.
Based on the findings, the researchers called for greater attention on combating dysbiosis as part of the longer-term treatment for people getting over the disease.
“Our new findings of persistent dysbiosis in recovered Covid-19 patients highlight that gut microbiota imbalance with impaired immunity could play a role in ‘long Covid’,” said Professor Francis Chan Ka Leung, one of the authors of the study and a director of the university’s Centre for Gut Microbiota Research
