It has been announced that people suffering from covid 19 develop persistent symptoms, termed long covid. About 2 million people living in the UK have reported that they have significant long covid symptoms that affect daily functioning.
There are only 8 symptoms mentioned In the definition of the world health organization on long covid, But a new study published in the journal Nature Medicine delivered that there are 62 symptoms associated with long covid and also found some other factors that contributed to the increased risk of long covid.
This study has been undertaken among 4,50,000 people who were hospitalized in the primary care center and 2 million people who had no prior infection were analyzed by matching those 2 cases by matching demographic, clinical, and social factors such as and measured from the people who have the history of 12 weeks from the infection. Finally, they found 62 symptoms that are linked to the prior condition of covid. Further long covid doesn’t represent a single condition; rather it is likely to have a group of distinct conditions occur as a result of covid infection.
Nonetheless, Researchers only focused on breath condition and its associative, they also focused on some other factors like other health conditions and their effect on psychological factors such as cognition and emotions.
As a result, they divided long covid symptoms into 3 subgroups. They are,
A Broad Spectrum of symptoms – It includes pain, rash, hair loss, erectile dysfunction, and fatigue. It constitutes 80% of people.
Respiratory symptoms – include shortness of breath, cough, and phlegm. It presents over 5 % of people
Psychological symptoms – such as depression, sleeping problems, and anxiety were found among 14% of people.
Researchers also delivered that the condition of long covid is more common among people who suffered during the 2nd wave than the 1st.
Who was at great risk?
The researchers also analyzed risk factors that contributed to log covid condition and found the following
- Women were more likely to occur long covid conditions than men
- Meanwhile, people aged from 20-35 were more likely than the age group from 30-40 and over 70.
- furthermore, people of the white ethnic group were less likely than others
- Social deprivation has also a part in it. It resulted that people with the highest socioeconomic deprivation have a higher rate than less deprived people.
Other risk factors include
- Being or former smoking
- Obesity
- Comorbidities like obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, fibromyalgia
CAUSES OF LONG COVID
The causes of long covid are not well known But it is hypothesized that organ damage due to acute infection, chronic inflammation, viral persistence, endothelial dysfunction, blood clots, autoimmunity, mast cell activation, and many others can contribute to the condition of long covid.
According to an immunologist, “Almost multiple mechanisms underlie long covid and in part explain the heterogeneity”.
TREATMENT
Long covid patients need individualized care as long covid has been recognized as overlapping multiple conditions. Some patients reported that they felt difficulty in the diagnosis of this condition. It complicates the efforts to get treatment. However, people with this condition should consult multiple specialists as it possesses multiple symptoms.
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