Coronavirus symptoms experienced in the first week of infection may be a predictor of how long it will last, a new study suggests.
USA Today reported that a study published Wednesday in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine found that COVID-19 patients who experienced “more than five symptoms in their first week of illness” were more likely to to become a so-called “COVID langhaler,” the name given by researchers to patients for more than 28 days.
The study found that the five most predictive symptoms of becoming a long-distance runner experienced during the first week: ‘fatigue, headache, hoarse voice, muscle aches and breathing problems’.
How was the study conducted?
According to USA Today, COVID-19 patients from the UK, US and Sweden were asked by researchers at King’s College London, Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital to ‘assess their symptoms from March to September 2020’ using a smartphone application report. ‘
The study found that of more than 4,000 participants, ‘about 13% of patients reported symptoms lasting longer than 28 days, 4% longer than 8 weeks and 2% longer than 12 weeks’.
USA Today co-authored the study, dr. Christina Astley, a scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital, was quoted as saying that a third of them had symptoms at 8 weeks and then a third, with respect to patients who reported symptoms lasting longer than four weeks. of which at 12 weeks. She added: “If you think about it, 1 in 20 people who have COVID-19 will have symptoms that last 8 weeks or more.”
What impact has increased age and gender had on persistent symptoms?
The study found that the likelihood of persistent symptoms increased with age, “from 9.9% of individuals 18 to 49, to 21.9% of those over 70.” The most common persistent symptom in older age groups was anosmia, or the loss of odor.
The study also found that women were more likely to experience COVID for a long time, “with 14.9% of female participants in the study reporting symptoms 28 days after initial infection, compared with 9.5% of men. “
USA Today noted that although the study sought to identify long-term COVID risk factors and markers, ‘doctors find that it can happen to anyone at any age’, citing Drs. Michael Wechsler, a pulmonologist at National Jewish Health. Dr. Wechsler said: “It can happen in all age groups, but it is very worrying for younger people who are otherwise healthy and not used to these symptoms.”
Two main patterns emerged.
Of the participants, the study found two main patterns among COVID long rangers. First, they found those who exclusively had “fatigue, headaches and upper respiratory problems, such as shortness of breath, sore throat, cough and loss of smell,” and a second group of long-term sufferers who had “persistent multi-system complaints, such as fever or gastrointestinal symptoms,” Reads the report.
According to dr. Weschler says there is a ‘wide range of symptoms’ in long COVID-19 patients in the National Jewish Health Clinic.
‘Long COVID is common. It affects a large part of the patients and has a wide spread of symptoms, ”he added. “It’s important to make people aware that all of these different side effects and symptoms can occur.”
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