A large-scale community-based study of recovered COVID-19 patients in Hong Kong
Biomedical Technology Holdings Limited announced today the results of a large-scale community-based study on Hong Kong’s COVID-19 recovered patients. The study, jointly organized by the Hong Kong Society of Gut Microbiome, was conducted from April to May this year.
More than half of the participants suffered from 3 or more symptoms of “long COVID” sequelae
The study randomly sampled 112 recovered COVID-19 patients who were infected during the “fifth wave” in April. By filling out the online assessment questionnaire, the situation and severity of the “long COVID-19” sequelae after they were infected and recovered were collected and analyzed. Their cases were followed up for 2-4 months after infection. Studies have shown that the most common sequelae of “long COVID” among those recovered is prone to fatigue, accounting for 83%; 77% of those who have recovered from COVID-19 have symptoms of insomnia; 72% have symptoms of cough and poor concentration.
More than 90% of the participants had symptoms of “long COVID”, and more than half had 3 or more symptoms of “long COVID” sequelae at the same time, indicating that the problem of “long COVID” is very common among people who have recovered from COVID-19.
These participants then received probiotic supplementation for a month, after which data were collected again and compared with the first results. Therefore, this study focuses on the first-person description and comparison of the sequelae of “long COVID” before and after the participants were supplemented with probiotics.
Patients with sequelae of “long COVID” generally have intestinal microecological imbalance
A study by a local authoritative university found that more than 70% of patients who have recovered from COVID-19 will continue to suffer from fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and poor memory, commonly known as the sequelae of “long COVID” (that is, patients have persistent symptoms weeks to months after being infected with the COVID-19 virus). They generally have an intestinal microecological imbalance, with significantly fewer “probiotics” and more “harmful bacteria”. In contrast, the gut microbiome of people without sequelae was richer and more diverse, similar to that of people who had never been infected.
The patient’s intestinal dysbiosis is closely related to the risk of developing “long COVID”. Among them, probiotics that can improve human immunity and help improve mood include Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus helveticus. Researchers believe that by regulating the gut microbiome, it can promote the recovery of patients, reduce the occurrence of sequelae of COVID and enhance immunity.
Probiotics effectively improve the symptoms of “long COVID”
The study analyzed the data of the participants and showed that after taking probiotics for a month, the symptoms of the “long COVID” patients were significantly improved. 96% of patients with severe cough decreased their symptom scores, indicating that the situation was relieved, 90% of patients with severe sore throat and dizziness decreased their symptom scores; 84% of patients with severe sleep difficulties (insomnia) decreased their symptom scores, nearly 70% of patients who were prone to fatigue decreased their symptom scores and 65% of the patients with severe memory deterioration had reduced symptom scores, with an average improvement of more than 50%.
The study found that after patients took relevant probiotics, many symptoms of “long COVID” were improved, and no participants experienced adverse reactions during the process of taking probiotics. The research team believes that the results of this study can be regarded as a reference for the treatment of “long COVID”, as an improved plan when there is no drug for COVID. The team is conducting further clinical research to evaluate whether relevant probiotics can be used as a formal treatment to reduce the long-term complications and sequelae of patients who recovered from COVID-19. It is hoped that all recovered patients will participate in the ongoing research plan.