The set of symptoms experienced by people covid It has long been wider than previously thought. According to a new study, decreased sexual desire, hair loss or hallucinations as well can be symptoms of covid.
The most common symptoms are loss of smell, shortness of breath and chest pain, but research shows that people with persistent covid usually have an “extremely wide” range of symptoms. And that includes lesser-known side effects like, in addition to those mentioned, amnesia, incontinenceintestinal inflammation, inflammation of the extremities and the inability to follow orders simple or perform movements.
This is the main conclusion of a study conducted by researchers from the University of Birmingham (UK), with a team of clinicians and researchers from across Englandwhich was about first phase of the pandemic in the UK, between January 2020 and April 2021. The study is published this week in the journal natural medicine.
The study validates what patients have told doctors: that the symptoms of persistent Covid-19 are extremely broad.”
“This survey validates what patients have told physicians and policy makers throughout the pandemic: that the symptoms of Covid-19 are extremely broad and cannot be fully explained by other factors, such as lifestyle risk factors or chronic health conditions,” says Shamil Haroon, Professor of Public Health at the University of Birmingham. and lead author of the article.
The researchers analyzed the anonymous electronic health records of 2.4 million people in the UK. In addition to detecting a broader set of symptoms, it identified key groups and behaviors that put people at higher risk to develop the disease over a long period of time.
Groups at higher risk of persistent covid
The study suggests that women, young people and people belonging to a black or mixed ethnic group are at increased risk of developing persistent Covid-19. In addition, poorer people, smokers, and overweight or obese people, as well as those with a wide range of illnesses, are more likely to report persistent symptoms.
Our interest in investigating whether autoimmunity or other causes may account for the increased risk in women increases. »
“Women are, for example, more prone to diseases autoimmune. Seeing the increased likelihood of women having persistent covid in our study raises our interest in researching whether autoimmunity or other causes may account for the higher risk in women“says Anuradhaa Subramanian, a researcher at the Institute of Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham and lead author of the paper.
Another co-author, Jennifer Camaradou, points out that “this study is essential to create and bring more value to the understanding of the complexity and pathology of prolonged covid. It highlights the degree and diversity of symptoms between different groups. Patients with pre-existing conditions will also appreciate the additional risk factor analysis.”
For all this, Shamil Haroon says he hopes research ‘further validates patient voice and engagement groups and provide an approach to support health responses to new and emerging diseases.