(CNN) — Do you still feel tired even after clearing the infection? According to a new study, it could be a “long cold.”
Researchers found that just like long-term coronavirus (where symptoms persist after a Covid-19 infection clears), other respiratory infections may also continue to affect people who think they have overcome them.
He said: “This study is important because not only does it reiterate the huge impact that Covid-19 can have (in the longer term), but it also highlights that people with other respiratory infections may also be struggling to recover from acute episodes .” The study’s lead author, Giulia Vivaldi, is a statistician and epidemiologist at the Covidence UK study at Queen Mary University of London.
According to a 2022 study, 1.3% of children and 6.9% of adults reported having a prolonged COVID-19 infection, which researchers defined as symptoms lasting at least three months after infection.
Vivaldi explained that in the latest scientific work, published Friday in the Lancet journal EClincial Medicine, more than 10,000 people were surveyed and asked to report whether they had suffered from any of 16 symptoms of COVID-19. of every kind. The researchers also asked them whether they had been infected with Covid-19, another respiratory infection, or neither.
According to the new study, people who have had Covid-19 and other respiratory infections since May 2020 are more likely to have persistent symptoms than people who have not had either infection.
Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, difficulty concentrating, memory problems, stomach problems, coughing and trouble sleeping, the report said.
Vivaldi said the study took into account other health issues that may influence these symptoms.
A long history but little research
Researchers are not yet sure how long a “long cold” lasts compared to a long coronavirus, but the study said the new findings could spark new work in understanding, diagnosing and treating post-infectious syndromes.
“Although this is one of the first to explore it prospectively, it is not a new phenomenon,” said Dr. David Strain, associate professor and honorary consultant at the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK. Strain was not involved in the investigation.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the 1918 influenza pandemic left many people with symptoms that lasted for decades, he added.
Strang wrote in a statement: “Today, around 280,000 people in the UK have myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome), and many of them say the trigger is A fairly benign initial viral illness.”
Previous research on long-term symptoms has focused on severe illness, Vivaldi said, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the few times medical research has focused on more than just hospitalized patients.
“It takes a strong voice from patients to bring long-term COVID-19 to the attention of the public and the medical community,” Vivaldi said in an email. “In honoring these patients, we need to make sure we don’t lose the opportunity for long-term COVID-19 research.” motivation and take this opportunity to build understanding and awareness of post-infectious syndromes more broadly.”
What are the consequences of a long-term cold?
While there is still work to be done in learning how to relieve symptoms, the experience of long-term COVID-19 clearly shows that persistent symptoms should be taken more seriously.
“People should expect a slow return to normality rather than an immediate resumption of all activities after an acute respiratory infection from any cause,” said Dr. Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London, who was not involved in the investigation.