A survey finds that three out of ten COVID-19 patients in the country experienced aftereffects lasting over four weeks.

According to a report by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), over 45 percent of people who took part in a health and nutrition survey conducted from June to December last year contracted COVID-19 and 29-point-six percent of them suffered from a prolonged aftermath that continued for over a month.

More women than men experienced aftereffects, with 36-point-three against 21-point-eight percent. Symptoms include continual coughing, fatigue, headaches and sore throat that last for more than four weeks.

By age, people aged 19 to 64 reported a higher rate of such symptoms than those 65 and older. However, more seniors said the effects had an impact on daily life or they had to seek hospital treatment.

Also in the survey, well over 47 percent of unvaccinated people struggled with an extended aftermath compared to 29-point-six percent of those who received jabs.
Patients of chronic illnesses such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes were also more susceptible to persistent aftereffects.

The KDCA called for continuous monitoring, most notably for women, seniors and patients with underlying diseases.