Women are more than twice as likely as men to suffer from persistent Covid-19 symptoms for months, according to the largest study of its kind to date.
Research also shows that medical history of autoimmune disease or depression increases the risk of long-term symptoms following infection with coronavirus. About one in three people with long Covid-19 had a previous autoimmune disease and more than half had a history of depression or anxiety.
Those who needed treatment because of Covid-19 are then ten times more likely to have long Covid-19s. The study also found that, one year after the initial Covid-19 infection, about one in four women with long Covid-19 has menstrual irregularities (menstrual cycle).
The study by researchers from the well-known genetic analysis company 23andMe, according to the “Financial Times”, analyzed data from more than 100,000 people with Covid-19, of which about a quarter had symptoms (fatigue, shortness of breath, cerebral “fog” and .a.), although they had recovered from the acute infection at least 12 weeks ago.
It has been found that women suffer from long Covid-19 in a disproportionate percentage, although, as many studies have shown, men are more likely to get Covid-19 and die from the disease. About half of women with long Covid-19 have symptoms for six months or more, possibly due to hormonal or genetic differences between the sexes. According to researchers, women are also more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus or multiple sclerosis.
A second U.S. study by researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that at least one in five adults (21%) under the age of 65 with coronavirus disease would then develop long-term Covid-19 problems, according to The New York Times. In those over 65, long Covid-19s will show an even higher percentage, over one in four (27%).
Problems with long Covid-19 can affect the lungs, heart, kidneys, musculoskeletal system, endocrine, gastrointestinal and other parts of the body, as well as symptoms of a neurological and psychiatric nature. Older people over 65 are at greater riskcompared to younger people with long Covid-19, to show in particular kidney failure, neurological diseases and mental disorders.
The study, which analyzed electronic medical records from 2020-21 for nearly two million people, of whom 353,164 were diagnosed with coronavirus, found that the risk of health problems (respiratory, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, etc.) due to post-Covid syndrome (also known as long Covid-19) in those over 65 is 20% to 120% higher than in the elderly who have never been ill with Covid-19. For people aged 18 to 64, the corresponding risk of health problems due to long-term Covid-19 is 10% to 110% higher than those who have never been infected with the coronavirus.
According to the study, within one month to one year after being diagnosed with coronavirus, 38% of patients still had one or more health problems, compared with 16% of patients without Covid-19. In the age group 18-64 years the percentage of people with post-Covid problems was 35% compared to 15% in peers without Covid-19, while in those over 65 the corresponding rates were 45% versus 19%. Based on the above, the researchers concluded that approximately 27% of the elderly and 21% of those under 65 years of age have health problems related to the previous Covid-19.
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