It is estimated that long-term COVID-19 affects at least 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infections. This means 67 million people worldwide are affected.it can be defined as New symptoms or persistent symptoms more than 4 weeks after infection, some of the most common symptoms are fatigue, difficulty breathing, and cognitive impairment. However, more than 200 sequelae have been described.
But COVID-19 may not be the only virus that causes long-term symptoms, according to a study. Pioneering research The study is the first to compare the long-term sequelae reported by people who experienced different types of acute respiratory infections.
published in magazine electronic clinical medicine, Titled lancet The results show There is a “long-term cold”: Long-term health effects of other respiratory infections, e.g. cold, flu or pneumoniacurrently unrecognized.
Post-infectious syndrome is not a new phenomenon. In fact, many cases of chronic fatigue syndrome are known to occur under infection-like conditions. However, these diseases often go undiagnosed due to the wide range of symptoms and lack of diagnostic tests.
Cough, stomachache, and diarrhea
Concerns about the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection prompted a research team at Queen Mary University of London to ask whether there are acute sequelae of other acute respiratory infections.
Researchers asked more than 10,000 people to report 16 symptoms common in long-term COVID-19, such as Fatigue, shortness of breath, pain, and dizziness. They then compared how common it was among three groups of people: people who reported COVID-19, people who reported another acute respiratory infection (but tested negative for COVID-19), and people who didn’t report any infection.
People infected with SARS-CoV-2 are more likely than people with other infections to have problems with their sense of taste and smell, as well as dizziness or lightheadedness. Assessments now suggest that both types of patients are associated with prevalence and/or severity of most symptoms.
“Some “Common symptoms of a long cold include cough, stomach pain and diarrhea,” Giulia Vivaldi, a statistician and epidemiologist involved in the study, compiled the list.
“These symptoms have been reported Average 11 weeks after infection. “While a severe initial infection appears to increase the risk of long-term symptoms, our study still doesn’t tell us why some people develop long-term symptoms and others do not,” he concluded. dialogue.
Factors that increase risk
The risk of a long-term cold depends largely on two main factors: Severity of infection and underlying medical conditions.
“Having any respiratory illness can make certain symptoms last longer,” he told us Spanish Rosario Menéndez is a pulmonologist and director of the Respiratory Infections Research Program of the Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR).
Although research shows that the mix of symptoms this can bring is varied lancet Differences between COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections.
The former are more likely to develop taste and smell problems in the future, as well as dizziness or lightheadedness.The latter experienced more consequences related to Persistent cough and hoarseness. They all agreed on dyspnea and fatigue.