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Indonesia sees high prevalence of Long Covid, study shows
The research found that the risk of Long Covid is significantly greater in patients with preexisting health conditions and suffer more severe symptoms, especially pneumonia.
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Medical workers prepare to take swab samples from people at a drive-through COVID-19 test station in Jakarta on Feb. 7. (Reuters/Willy Kurniawan)
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recent study suggests that 66 percent of COVID-19 survivors in Indonesia experience persistent symptoms long after they tested negative for the coronavirus, greater than the estimated rate of global prevalence of 43 percent.
The study, which was published in the peer-reviewed infectious-diseases journal, GERMS, was the first to investigate the phenomenon widely identified as Long Covid in Indonesia.
It was conducted in January of last year, shortly after the country experienced its first wave of COVID-19 infections fueled by the spread of the virus’ Alpha variant. The study involved 385 respondents from across the archipelago.
The most common symptoms reported by the survivors, according to the research, were prolonged fatigue (29 percent), coughing (15 percent) and muscle pains (11 percent). Some patients also experienced shortness of breath, headaches, joint paints, heart palpitations, sleep disturbance and brain fog/loss of concentration.
These symptoms lasted for up to three months after the patients tested negative for the virus, greatly impairing their quality of life.
Around one-third of Long Covid patients reported suffering from anxiety and depression, and around one-fourth experienced pain and discomfort.
The study found that the risk of Long Covid is significantly greater in patients with preexisting health conditions and that they suffer more severe symptoms, especially pneumonia.
