Oct 2022 | BMJ | University Medical Centre Freiburg
Study on the long-term effects of COVID-19 published
In a study by Prof. Dr. Winfried Kern and his research group from the University Medical Centre Freiburg, a total of 12,053 adults were closely monitored for six to twelve months after suffering from a predominantly mild COVID-19 disease. The study, conducted in cooperation with several universities in southern Germany, shows that even twelve months after the acute phase of COVID-19 disease, a considerable burden of a number of different symptoms can still be present. For most symptoms, women showed a higher level of impairment than men. Despite methodological limitations (e.g. low participation rate, lack of control group), this study shows a considerable burden of post-acute symptom complexes: Fatigue and impairment of cognitive functions were observed most frequently, even in young and middle-aged adults.
BMJ
The journal "The BMJ" is a medical scientific journal published by the BMJ Group (owned by the British Medical Association) in London. The magazine has been in existence since 1840 and is published weekly in English with a circulation of over 100,000 copies. The focus of the publications of "The BMJ" are articles and classifications from the field of evidence-based medicine. The journal is subject to strict peer review and is one of the most recognised and renowned journals in the scientific community.
University Medical Centre Freiburg
The University Medical Centre Freiburg is the fourth largest hospital in Germany in terms of the number of physicians employed. The hospital was certified for the first time in 2005 and recertified in 2008 as one of the first university hospitals in Germany. Research foci at the University Hospital are immunology and infectiology, molecular cell research and regenerative medicine, epigenetics and functional genetics, neuroscience, oncology and functional imaging. The University Hospital is one of the most important locations for medical research in Germany. This is demonstrated, among other things, by the fact that in 2007, together with three other cancer clinics, it was awarded the title of Top Oncological Centre by the German Cancer Aid and has received continuous funding ever since.