A new study has revealed two new Long Covid symptoms reported by patients.
Low sex drive and hair loss have been added to the list of side effects of Long Covid, according to a new study in the UK.
Research conducted at the University of Birmingham has found that Long Covid sufferers have listed more than 60 symptoms, including erectile dysfunction, amnesia, and bowel incontinence.
Read more: 'Assume you have Covid' if you wake up with this symptom
The findings were recently published in the journal Nature Medicine, and showed that patients with a legitimate record of infection with Covid-19 reported 62 symptoms much more frequently 12 weeks after testing positive than those who hadn’t contracted the virus.
The team involved epidemiologists, clinicians, data scientists, statisticians, and patients to decode electronic health records to accurately capture persistent symptoms experienced after infection.
The data was taken between January 2020 and April 2021 and involved more than 480,000 people with prior infection, and 1.9 million people with no record of ever having coronavirus after matching for other clinical diagnoses.
The team of researchers were able to identify three categories of distinct symptoms - among patients that were non-hospitalised - reported by people with persistent health problems after infection.
While the most common symptoms include anosmia - loss of sense of smell, shortness of breath, chest pain and fever, others detailed amnesia, bowel incontinence, erectile dysfunction, hallucinations, limb swelling and apraxia - the inability to perform familiar movements or commands.
The study’s senior author, Dr Shamil Haroon, Associate Clinical Professor in Public Health at the University of Birmingham, said: “This research validates what patients have been telling clinicians and policy makers throughout the pandemic, that the symptoms of Long Covid are extremely broad and cannot be fully accounted for by other factors such as lifestyle risk factors or chronic health conditions.”
Read more: Uptake for Covid-19 vaccine for children highest in Dublin
“The symptoms we identified should help clinicians and clinical guideline developers to improve the assessment of patients with long-term effects from Covid-19, and to subsequently consider how this symptom burden can be best managed.”
Patient partner and study co-author Jennifer Camaradou added: “This study is instrumental in creating and adding further value to understanding the complexity and pathology of Long Covid. It highlights the degree and diversity of expression of symptoms between different clusters.
READ NEXT:
Professor Luke O'Neill says new Covid-19 vaccination campaign in autumn 'likely'
Dublin parents' shock as daughter's headaches turn out to be cancer
Warning as mice and rats enter Dublin homes during summer months
Exact locations of new Garda speed cameras to be installed in Dublin
Dublin influencer shares top tips on how to save thousands on long distance flights
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox
