200 symptoms associated with long-Covid have been identified

There are many, they last for months and in some cases can affect the ability to work. The latest photograph on the long Covid underlines the importance of fighting the spread of the virus

(photo: elenaleonova via Getty Images) Fatigue, malaise after mental and physical efforts, cognitive problems. But also hallucinations, diarrhea, palpitations, tinnitus, muscle aches, changes in taste and smell, problems related to the menstrual cycle. For me yes. Persistent. And in some cases disabling to the point of not being able to work as before the illness. Photographing the enormous impact of long-Covid - the "long tail" of infection after the acute phase of the disease - is a study that analyzed data from over 3,700 people from 56 countries, interviewed online through a series of questions . The image that emerges underlines once again the burden of the disease both on a health and social level, to the point that the authors of the research ask for a structured program to intercept and treat all long-haulers, those who suffer long after the disease.

Athena Akrami of the Sainsbury Wellcome Center at University College London, head of the research, stated on the sidelines of the publication of the results of the study, published in EclinicalMedicine: “Together with the well-documented respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms, there is now a clear need to extend the guidelines to encompass a wider range of symptoms when diagnosing long-Covid. There could be tens of thousands of long-Covid patients suffering in silence, unsure whether or not to link their symptoms to Covid-19 ”.

The wide range of symptoms

The wide range of symptoms Akrami refers to includes about 200, about sixty persisting even after seven months. We are talking about disorders that affect virtually every area of ​​the body: from respiratory to gastrointestinal, from urinary to endocrine, from cardiovascular to musculoskeletal to neurological, to name a few. And the neurological ones are of particular concern, added the researcher, with memory and cognitive problems that affected up to 85% of the sample analyzed. "Headache, insomnia, dizziness, neuralgia, neuropsychiatric changes, tremors, sensitivity to noise and light, hallucinations (olfactory and other types), tinnitus, and other sensorimotor symptoms were all common, and may indicate greater neurological problems than concern both the central and peripheral nervous system ", Akrami specified.

Alongside neurological symptoms, fatigue and malaise following physical and mental efforts are the most common and persistent disorders reported in the survey (conducted on of age). In 65% of cases, symptoms attributable to Covid-19 lasted at least six months. Almost 50% of the sample had had to reshape their work following the disease. While taking into account the limitations of the study - we are talking about an online survey, conducted in support groups for Covid, therefore sensitized in some way on the subject, and on a sample with a diagnosis or not confirmed for the symptoms referable to the coronavirus - the scientists write , given the burden of the disease, the impact in terms of patients with long Covid is likely to be substantial. Reason why, we read in the paper, once again, as well as to combat the acute effects, it is essential to try to reduce the spread of the virus in every way (with vaccinations and public health measures) also for these effects on the medium and long term, and deepen their knowledge, both to address them on a health and social level.


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Coronavirus Long Covid Health globalData.fldTopic = "Coronavirus, Long Covid, Health"

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