New Delhi: Long COVID—persistent illness following COVID-19 infection—is also common after other respiratory infections, a study reveals.
Researchers from the University of Oxford in the UK analyzed data from 190,000 participants, categorizing them into three groups: those hospitalized with COVID-19, those hospitalized with other lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs), and a reference group with no LRTI hospitalizations.
Participants completed surveys reporting on 45 physical and psychological symptoms across various systems, including the ear, nose, and throat; respiratory; neurological; gastrointestinal; and musculoskeletal systems.
Published in JAMA Network Open, the study found that those hospitalized with COVID-19 showed a higher risk for 23 of the 45 symptoms, while those hospitalized with non-COVID LRTIs exhibited elevated risks for 18 symptoms.
Dr. Junqing Xie from Oxford’s NDORMS stated that “post-acute effects of COVID-19 are not unique,” explaining that similar long-term effects can occur with other severe respiratory infections. Long COVID patients often experience fatigue, breathlessness, brain fog, and, in some cases, persistent loss of taste—symptoms also reflected in this study, especially regarding neurological and cognitive issues.
The study highlighted that thinking and communication difficulties were more pronounced in COVID-19 cases than in both the reference group and those with other LRTIs. Dr. Xie emphasized the importance of expanding research on long-term health impacts from other respiratory infections to improve healthcare response post-pandemic. Recognizing both the differences and overlaps between post-acute symptoms caused by various viruses could lead to better prevention and tailored care.
