Long Covid Has Over 200 Symptoms, Study Finds | Long Covid

The largest international study ever conducted on people with long Covid identified more than 200 symptoms and prompted researchers to call for a national screening program.

The study found that the myriad of symptoms of the long Covid – from brain fog and hallucinations to tremors and tinnitus – covered 10 of the body’s organ systems, and a third of the symptoms continued to affect patients for at least six month.

A national screening program would help better understand how many people are affected and what kind of support they would need, the researchers said.

The researchers also called for the clinical guidelines for the evaluation of patients with suspected long-term Covid to be expanded beyond cardiovascular and pulmonary function tests.

Athena Akrami, neuroscientist at University College London and lead author of the study, said: “Many post-Covid clinics in the UK have focused on respiratory rehabilitation. It’s true that a lot of people suffer from shortness of breath, but they also have a lot of other issues and types of symptoms that clinics need to offer a more holistic approach.

She said she was still showing symptoms 16 months after being infected with the coronavirus, adding: ‘It is likely that tens of thousands of long Covid patients will suffer in silence, unsure whether their symptoms are related to Covid-19.

“By relying on the network of long Covid clinics, which take referrals from general practitioners, we now believe that a national program could be deployed in communities capable of screening, diagnosing and treating all people suspected of having long Covid symptoms. “

The study, published in the Lancet journal EClinicalMedicine, interviewed 3,762 people with confirmed or suspected long-term Covid in 56 countries. He identified 203 symptoms, 66 of which were followed for seven months.

The most common symptoms were fatigue, post-exercise discomfort (where people’s health deteriorates after physical or mental exertion), and brain fog. Other effects included visual hallucinations, tremors, itchy skin, changes in menstrual cycle, sexual dysfunction, heart palpitations, bladder control problems, shingles, memory loss, blurred vision, diarrhea and tinnitus.

The researchers also captured the progression of symptoms over time. “After six months, most of the remaining symptoms are systemic – things like temperature regulation, fatigue, post-exercise discomfort – and neurological. [affecting the brain, spinal cord and nerves]”Akrami said.

Respondents with symptoms lasting longer than six months, a total of 2,454, reported experiencing an average of 13.8 symptoms in the seventh month.

During their illness, the patients’ symptoms affected an average of nine organ systems. “This is important for medical researchers who are looking for the [disease mechanisms], and also for physicians providing care and treatment, as it suggests that they shouldn’t focus on just one organ system, ”Akrami said.

About 22% of those who took part in the survey said they were unable to work – having been made redundant, taking extended sick or disability leave or resigning – because of their illness. And 45% required a reduced work schedule.