Jun 18 (NHK) - The interim results of Japanese research on long-term effects of the coronavirus show that some people experienced fatigue, hair loss or other symptoms six months after they had been diagnosed with infection.
Three study groups at the health ministry have been conducting the research.
A team involving Keio University Professor Fukunaga Koichi asked 246 people who had been hospitalized for coronavirus infection what symptoms, if any, they had six months after diagnosis.
About 80 percent of the respondents said they felt their health had recovered to what it was before they became infected.
The survey also reveals that 21 percent reported a sense of fatigue, 13 percent cited shortness of breath, 11 percent complained of trouble sleeping, and 10 percent suffered hair loss.
Another team involving Kanazawa Medical University Professor Miwa Takaki surveyed 251 people aged under 60 who were hospitalized or self-isolating for coronavirus infection at the time of the questionnaire.
Thirty-seven percent said they felt both their sense of smell and taste were abnormal, 20 percent noticed abnormalities in their sense of smell, and 4 percent had abnormalities in their sense of taste.
The team conducted a follow-up survey one month after they were discharged or ended self-isolation.
It shows that 60 percent of the respondents felt improvement in their sense of smell, while 84 percent said their sense of taste had got better.
