More than a third of people who have had Covid-19 have subsequently been diagnosed with at least one symptom of long Covid, research has found.
The study from the University of Oxford and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) looked at health data for more than 270,000 people recovering from Covid-19 infection, using data from the US-based TriNetX electronic health record network.
In the three to six months following infection, 37% reported symptoms of long Covid. The most common was anxiety or depression (15%), followed by abnormal breathing (8%), abdominal symptoms (8%) chest/throat pain (6%) and fatigue (6%).
Other persistent symptoms included headache (5%), cognitive problems (4%), and muscle pain (1.5%).
Severity of infection, age, and sex affected the likelihood of long-Covid symptoms, which were more frequently experienced by people who had been hospitalised and in women.
Older people and men were more likely to experience breathing and cognitive issues, while younger people and women were more likely to have headaches, abdominal issues and anxiety or depression.
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The study also looked at the same symptoms in people recovering from influenza. The persistent health issues were 1.5 times more common after Covid-19.
“The results confirm that a significant proportion of people, of all ages, can be affected by a range of symptoms and difficulties in the six months after COVID-19 infection,” said NIHR academic clinical fellow Dr Max Taquet. “We need appropriately configured services to deal with the current and future clinical need.”
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Professor Paul Harrison from the University of Oxford’s Department of Psychiatry, said: “Research of different kinds is urgently needed to understand why not everyone recovers rapidly and fully from Covid-19. We need to identify the mechanisms underlying the diverse symptoms that can affect survivors. This information will be essential if the long-term health consequences of Covid-19 are to be prevented or treated effectively.”
On 30 September at 2pm, OH+ will host a webinar on long Covid and the need for greater multidisciplinary working. The webinar is available exclusively to OHW+ Premium members.
