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long covid has more than 200 symptoms, study finds
'there are likely to be tens of thousands of long covid patients suffering in silence, unsure that their symptoms are connected to covid-19'
jul 16 2021
4 minute read
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by: emma sandri
the largest peer-reviewed international study of “long-haulers” has found that there are more than 200 symptoms associated with long covid, spanning 10 organ systems.
published on thursday in the lancet’s open access journal eclinicalmedicine , the study surveyed nearly 3,800 people online, from 56 countries, with confirmed or suspected long covid.
during their illness, survey participants reported experiencing an average of 56 symptoms, across nine organ systems, with the most common symptoms listed by patients being fatigue, brain fog and post-exertional malaise (where symptoms worsen after physical or mental effort).
however, as the researchers noted, there were also a number of other symptoms participants reported experiencing that are “not commonly mentioned in public discussion of long covid.” those included seizures, vision loss, facial paralysis, hallucinations, tremors, itchy skin, shingles, new allergies, changes to one’s menstrual cycle and suicidality — suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts.
overall, the study identified 203 symptoms of long covid, with respondents indicating at which points during their illness they experienced 74 of those symptoms.
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while there is no agreed upon definition of what exactly long covid is, the authors of the u.k.-based study defined the illness as a “collection of symptoms that develop during or following a confirmed or suspected case of covid-19” in an individual, and which continue for more than 28 days.
around 65 per cent of those surveyed in the study said their symptoms lasted for at least six months, with only 233 reporting that they had recovered.
those with symptoms for over six months said they experienced an average of nearly 14 symptoms in their seventh month of long covid.
about 40 per cent of unrecovered participants in the study were also classified as experiencing “extreme levels” of fatigue.
“it’s true that a lot of people have shortness of breath, but they also have a lot of other problems and types of symptoms that the clinics need to provide a more holistic approach to,” athena akrami, a neuroscientist at university college london, and senior author of the study, told the guardian.
the vast majority of participants in the study also suffered relapses of their symptoms, with about 52 per cent saying those relapses occurred in an “irregular pattern” and in response to a specific trigger, such as physical or mental activity and stress.
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about a third of those surveyed who menstruate also said they experienced a relapse in symptoms before or during menstruation.
akrami also told the guardian that she’s still experiencing symptoms, 16 months after being infected with the virus herself, adding: “
there are likely to be tens of thousands of long covid patients suffering in silence, unsure that their symptoms are connected to covid-19.”
long haulers in the workplace
some of the study’s most significant findings related to how so-called covid long haulers were faring in the workplace. among those who hadn’t recovered from the illness, and who had worked before contracting covid-19, only 27 per cent were working as many hours as they had prior to becoming ill.
more specifically, nearly half of unrecovered respondents said they were working reduced hours at the time they took the survey. another 23 per cent said they were not working at all due to their illness; this included being on sick leave or disability leave, being fired, quitting or being unable to find a job which could accommodate them.
for some of those who did return to their workplace, they reported experiencing “relapses” of their symptoms, triggered by the mental exertion and stress of working. according to the study, they often needed to go back on sick leave again.
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“this emphasizes the importance of all patients having adequate time off to recover, being able to qualify for disability benefits if long-term assistance is needed, and receiving accommodations at work including telecommuting, flexible hours and phased returns,” wrote the study’s authors.
the eclinicalmedecine study also asked respondents to rate how they were feeling on a given day, from a scale of zero to 100 per cent.
those who hadn’t recovered from long covid reported, on average, feeling about 60 per cent, while those who had recovered reported an average of about 87 per cent.
according to a new review led by the public health agency of canada, more than half of covid-19 patients in the country may be experiencing one or more symptoms of the virus, three months after testing positive for it.
while the chief public health officer, dr. theresa tam, noted last week that most people with covid-19 recover completely from the virus within a few weeks, some continue to experiencing symptoms that “persist or recur” for weeks or months.
these symptoms, she said in a statement , can vary from mild to more severe, and can affect both the young and the old.
according to the guardian, the researchers in the eclinicalmedicine study have also said that a national screening program could help to produce a better understanding of how many people are affected by long covid, and the kinds of support they may need.
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