COVID-19 survivors suffer hair loss, shortness of breath after recovery: survey

A medical worker waits for visitors to come for coronavirus tests at a makeshift clinic at the plaza in front of Seoul City Hall on Thursday. (Yonhap)

Survivors of COVID-19 reported hair loss and decreased breathing capacity months after their infections, and some had lingering lung troubles, the health authority said Thursday.

A survey on 40 adult patients who were hospitalized for the virus infection showed that hair loss and shortness of breath during exercise were the most common symptoms experienced three months after recovery, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.

Six months after infection, the discharged patients were troubled with fatigue, the KDCA said.

Chest CTs of some patients showed lingering troubles in their lungs three months after virus infection, but most of the symptoms slowly subsided six months after. However, some patients had pulmonary fibrosis in their lung tissues, it noted.

In terms of psychological side effects, the survivors reported depression and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it added. (Yonhap)