Prognosis
‘Long Hauler’ Study Shows Covid Can Kill Months After Infection
- Scientists find roughly 8 extra deaths per 1,000 survivors
- Drug patterns point to possible uptick in overdoses, suicides
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One of the largest studies of Covid-19 “long haulers” has proved what many doctors suspected: Not only are many patients suffering a raft of health problems six months after infection, they’re also at significantly greater risk of dying.
Survivors had a 59% increased risk of dying within six months after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers reported Thursday in the journal Nature. The excess mortality translates into about 8 extra deaths per 1,000 patients -- worsening the pandemic’s hidden toll amid growing recognition that many patients require readmission, and some die, weeks after the viral infection abates.