Some people may experience a “long cold,” or prolonged symptoms following a cold, flu, pneumonia, or other respiratory illness. This is a pattern like this: long coronavirusaccording to new research from Queen Mary University of London.
Published in Lancet magazine EC Clinical Medicine Journal On Friday, researchers found that even people with acute respiratory infections who test negative for the coronavirus can still experience long-term symptoms such as cough, abdominal pain and diarrhea for at least four weeks after infection.Them Due to the long-term effects of the new coronavirus infection They were more likely to report ongoing problems with their sense of taste and smell, lightheadedness, and dizziness.
Although researchers did not measure the difference in the duration of symptoms between the “long cold” and long-term COVID-19 infections, people in both groups experienced more severe symptoms if they had previously been infected. We found that people are more likely to report
The research was carried out as part of the university’s Covid-19 national study into coronavirus infections, launched in 2020. The study analyzed survey data from 10,171 adults in the UK between January and February 2021, looking at 16 symptoms commonly associated with long-term infection. New coronavirus: cough, sleep problemsmemory loss, difficulty concentrating, muscle or joint pain, problems with taste or smell, diarrhea, abdominal pain, voice changes, hair loss, abnormal heartbeat, lightheadedness or dizziness, unusual sweating, shortness of breath, anxiety or Depression, and fatigue.
The authors write that while long-lasting symptoms, also known as post-acute infection syndrome, are “not a new phenomenon,” they often go undiagnosed because of the wide range of symptoms and lack of testing.
“Our findings reflect the experiences of people who have suffered from long-term symptoms after contracting a respiratory infection, despite having tested negative for COVID-19 using nose and throat swabs. “It may be consistent with this,” said Professor Adrian Martineau, UK Covid-19 research director and clinical professor.Respiratory Infections and Immunology at Queen Mary University of London news release.
Martineau noted that ongoing research into the long-term effects of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases is important to understanding why. Some people experience longer-lasting symptoms than others.
“Ultimately, this could help identify the most appropriate form of treatment and care for those affected,” he said.
Millions of Americans long coronavirus — various symptomsWhich can be debilitatingwhich can last months or even years after infection with the new coronavirus. recent data According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The report published last month uses the following data: 2022 National Health Interview SurveyAccording to the agency, 6.9% of U.S. adults reported having previously had a long-term COVID-19 infection, and 3.4% said they were currently suffering from COVID-19 at the time of the survey. . Based on U.S. Census data, nearly 18 million people have suffered from the condition at some point since the pandemic began, and nearly 9 million people were suffering from the condition at the time of the survey.
The survey data also found that women were more likely than men to report having a prolonged COVID-19 infection.
