Doctors and researchers have been warning about the growing threat of Long Covid, as infection rates climb once again in most parts of the world.
The condition is undermining quality of life for millions of Britons.
Research suggests that between one month and one year after having Covid-19, one in five people aged 18 to 64 has at least one medical condition that might be connected to coronavirus.
Among people aged 65 and older, one in four has at least one medical condition that might be due to Covid.
Studies also now suggests that there is significant evidence that Long Covid is connected to brain-related sleep, neurological and psychiatric conditions.
In 2020, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) released data that showed that after testing positive for Covid-19:
- 20% or people were still experiencing symptoms five or more weeks later
- 10% of people were still experiencing symptoms 12 or more weeks later.
THE ONS has more recently published figures from June 2021 that suggest 40% of survey respondents with self-reported Long Covid were still experiencing symptoms one year after infection.
There’s still much to learn about Covid and its long-term effects on people who contract it.
Long Covid sufferers may need several months to recover, and even then, some symptoms and additional conditions like sleep disorders tend to pop up and linger along the way.
In a survey of nearly a million people with self-reported Long Covid, the most common symptom, in 56% of respondents, was fatigue.
“Sleep disorders are one of the most common symptoms for patients who’ve had Covid-19,” says sleep medicine specialist Dr Cinthya Orbea
She added: “They report insomnia, fatigue, brain fog and sometimes we even see circadian rhythm disorders.”
And with sleep being so vital for a person’s overall health, the long-term impact may be more devastating than many realise.
In a study published in the National Library of Medicine, Long Covid syndrome on neurological, psychological and physiological symptoms was investigated.
The study exclusively looked at people with Long Covid who showed significantly higher rates of insomnia compared to subject who never had Covid.
The research involved an online survey related to sleep disturbances and quality of life.
In total, 507 individuals completed the online survey reported main symptoms associated with Long Covid being headaches, fatigue, muscle aches/myalgia, articular pains, cognitive impairment, loss of concentration and loss of smell.
Additionally, the subjects showed significant levels of insomnia and an overall reduced quality of life.
Common symptoms of Long Covid include:
- Shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, heart palpitations, dizziness
- Headaches, problems with memory and concentration (“brain fog”)
- Depression, anxiety, extreme tiredness and difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- Tinnitus, earaches, pins and needles and joint pain
- Feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- A high temperature, cough, sore throat, changes to sense of smell/taste, rashes.
