Abnormal breathing, anxiety, cognitive problems among common symptoms
Over 35 per cent of people had at least one long-Covid symptom diagnosed in the 3-6 month period after Covid-19 infection, according to a team of researchers who investigated long-Covid in over 2,70,000 people recovering from infection due to the virus.
The figures, based on self-reported symptoms, also suggest 3,84,000 people are still living with symptoms a year after infection.
Long Covid symptoms were more frequent in those who had been hospitalised, and they were slightly more common in the women, the study published in the journal PLOS Medicine showed.
According to the researchers, including Paul Harrison from the University of Oxford, the most common symptoms were breathing problems, abdominal symptoms, fatigue, pain, and anxiety/depression.
“Research of different kinds is urgently needed to understand why not everyone recovers rapidly and fully from Covid-19. We need to identify the mechanism underlying the diverse symptoms that can affect survivors,” Harrison, who headed the study, said in a statement.
For the study, the team used data from the US-based TriNetX electronic health record network.
The study reported on how commonly nine core long-Covid symptoms were diagnosed and how this rate compared to people recovering from influenza.
The nine core long-Covid symptoms, occurring 90-180 days after Covid-19 was diagnosed, comprise abnormal breathing 8 per cent, abdominal symptoms 8 per cent, anxiety/depression 15 per cent, chest/throat pain 6 per cent, cognitive problems (‘brain fog’) 4 per cent, fatigue 6 per cent, headache 5 per cent, myalgia (muscle pain) 1.5 per cent, other pain — 7 per cent, any of the above features 37 per cent.
Higher rates were seen if the whole 1-180 day period after Covid-19 infection was included.
Covid patients admitted to hospital were more likely to suffer cognitive problems like brain fog and fatigue compared with people who did not need to be admitted, the research found. People who did not need hospital care were more likely to have headaches.
These factors also influenced which of the symptoms people were most likely to experience. For example, older people and men had more breathing difficulties and cognitive problems, whereas young people and women had more headaches, abdominal symptoms and anxiety/depression.
Many patients had more than one long-Covid symptom, and symptoms tended to co-occur more as time progressed.
The study also looked at the same symptoms in people recovering from influenza. Long-Covid symptoms did occur after influenza, but were 1.5 times more common after Covid-19.
