New symptoms have been added to the list that long covid sufferers have experienced, a study has found.
Researchers from University of Birmingham anonymised electronic health records of 2.4 million people in the UK and discovered that long covid sufferers have experienced a much wider set of over 60 symptoms than previously thought, including sexual dysfunction and alopecia.
The data taken between January 2020 and April 2021 involved more than 480,000 people with prior infection, and 1.9 million people with no indication of coronavirus infection after matching for other clinical diagnoses. Using only non-hospitalised patients, the team of researchers were able to identify three categories of distinct symptoms reported by people with persistent health problems after infection.
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While the most common symptoms include anosmia - loss of sense of smell, shortness of breath, chest pain and fever; others included amnesia, bowel incontinence, erectile dysfunction, hallucinations, limb swelling and apraxia - the inability to perform familiar movements or commands. Hair loss and a low sex drive have also been added.
The data taken between January 2020 and April 2021 involved more than 480,000 people with prior infection, and 1.9 million people with no indication of coronavirus infection after matching for other clinical diagnoses. Using only non-hospitalised patients, the team of researchers were able to identify three categories of distinct symptoms reported by people with persistent health problems after infection.
Study 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.
"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."
According to the NHS, how long it takes to recover from covid "is different for everybody", as some may feel better in a few days, most make a full recovery within 12 weeks, but some may see symptoms last much longer. People who had mild symptoms at first can still have long-term problems.
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."
As well as identifying a wider set of symptoms, the research team also found key demographic groups and behaviours which put people at increased risk of developing Long Covid. The study suggests that women, younger people; or belonging to a black, mixed or other ethnic group are at greater risk of developing Long Covid.
People from less affluent socio-economic backgrounds, smokers, people who are overweight or obese, as well as the presence of a wide range of health conditions were also associated with reporting persistent symptoms.
The study focused on the first phase of the pandemic in the UK between January 2020 and April 2021 and provided the team with an opportunity to compare meaningful numbers of people who had coronavirus infections alongside a control group of uninfected people.
The research team involved epidemiologists, clinicians, data scientists, statisticians, and patients to decode electronic health records to accurately capture persistent symptoms experienced after infection.
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