Three to six months after their infection, 37 percent of patients reported at least one long-term COVID-19 symptom, according to a study released in late September. Scientists are working to find out how widespread the condition is.

Researchers at Oxford and the National Institute for Health Research concluded that the hospitalized and women were slightly more likely to report long COVID-19 symptoms.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 270,000 Coronavirus survivors to identify similar long-term symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, abnormal breath, abdominal pain, fatigue, and hunger. Younger people and women reported more headaches, abdominal symptoms, anxiety, and depression. In comparison, older people and men reported more breathing difficulties.

In this study, scientists did not explore COVID-19 symptoms for the causes, severity, or duration of long-lasting symptoms. However, the study did compare long COVID-19 symptoms with those recovering from influenza and found people were 1.5 times more likely to develop these symptoms after COVID-19 infection. 

The study illustrates how many survivors of Coronavirus may be dealing with ongoing symptoms, and researchers recommend further investigation.

“Research of different kinds is urgently needed to understand why not everyone recovers rapidly and fully from COVID-19,” Oxford psychiatry professor Paul Harrison said. 

“We need to identify the mechanisms underlying the diverse symptoms that can affect survivors,” he added. “This information will be essential if the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 are to be prevented or treated effectively.”

Patients with long COVID-19 have reported enduring symptoms months after their diagnosis, which has led scientists to explore the mystery.

Two months after being positive for COVID-19, a third of participants in a study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found they had at least one long-term symptom. Based on these estimates, it is likely that there are millions of individuals in the United States who experience long-term COVID-19 symptoms.

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