Most Covid-19 patients admitted to a Sydney hospital in March still have symptoms

Exclusive: more than three months after being discharged from St Vincent's hospital, some 80% continue to experience symptoms, doctors say

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The majority of patients admitted to an acute care hospital in Sydney with Covid-19 in March and April are still experiencing symptoms more than three months after being discharged.

The head of the infectious diseases department at St Vincent's hospital, Associate Prof Gail Matthews, said most of the 170 cases that came through the hospital were linked to outbreaks associated with the Ruby Princess cruise ship and a backpackers hostel in Bondi. Of those, 94 had agreed to take part in the St Vincent's Adapt study, undergoing tests every three months to see whether the virus was associated with any lasting effects in the body's immune system, blood, lung, gut and brain functions.