A large study from Oxford University and the UK’s National Institute for Health Research has found that 37 per cent of people recovering from Covid experience at least one long-term symptom.
Oxford conducted a six-month study of more than 270,000 people recovering from the virus. It found that three to six months after testing positive for the infection, they still experienced symptoms such as breathing problems, fatigue, pain and anxiety.
Individuals hospitalized for Covid experienced long-term symptoms more frequently.
Additionally, these long-term symptoms were slightly more common among females than among males.
The study was released on Wednesday, Sept 29.
Oxford University professor Paul Harrison, who headed the study, underlined its significance in understanding the illness caused by the virus.
“We need to identify the mechanisms underlying the diverse symptoms that can affect survivors,” he said, adding, ”This information will be essential if the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 are to be prevented or treated effectively.”
There were no causes of long-Covid symptoms indicated in the study, nor was there a discussion of their severity or how long they can last.
But the study said that for older people and males, breathing difficulties and cognitive problems are more common long-term symptoms.
Younger people and women, on the other hand, experienced more headaches, abdominal symptoms and anxiety or depression.
“Knowing the risk of long-COVID features helps in planning the relevant healthcare service provision.
The fact that the risk is higher after COVID-19 than after influenza suggests that their origin might, in part, directly involve infection with SARS-CoV-2 and is not just a general consequence of viral infection. This might help in developing effective treatments against long-COVID,” the study said.
The results of the Oxford-National Institute for Health Research study mirror those from a limited study carried out by the US enters for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC study found that one-third of its participants experienced at least one symptom of Covid-19 after testing positive for the virus. /TISG