October 8, 2024

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New Study Reveals Long-COVID Isn’t a Singular Syndrome

New Study Reveals Long-COVID Isn’t a Singular Syndrome



 

New Study Reveals Long-COVID Isn’t a Singular Syndrome.

Research suggests that symptoms evolve over time, with many patients experiencing headaches and fatigue.

Recent data from a nationwide study published in the “Infectious Disease Open Forum” journal indicates that Long-COVID is not a single syndrome and should not be treated as such.

A recent nationwide study has demonstrated that long-term COVID-19 is not a singular condition but evolves over time.

This study involved nearly 6,000 participants, emphasizing different symptom categories and highlighting the importance of tailoring treatment based on symptom presentation.

The study examined ongoing symptoms in COVID-19 patients at three and six months post-diagnosis.

Among the 5,963 individuals participating in the study, 4,504 tested positive for COVID-19, while 1,459 tested negative. Many of the participants (a total of 2,000) were from King County and sought medical care at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

 

New Study Reveals Long-COVID Isn't a Singular Syndrome

 

 

The four primary symptom categories observed in individuals testing positive for COVID-19 were as follows:

1. Mild symptoms (72% of cases)
2. Fatigue, headaches, and muscle/joint pain (17% of cases)
3. Fatigue, headaches, muscle/joint pain, accompanied by loss of taste and smell (5% of cases)
4. Symptoms across multiple systems (6% of cases)

 

 

Kari Stephens, the senior author and head of the Department of Family Medicine Research at the University of Washington School of Medicine, noted the clinical significance of this research. It demonstrates how the long-term symptoms of the virus change in their presentation over time.

 

Most studies on long-term COVID-19 have primarily focused on individual symptoms, without considering symptom clusters or patterns. She mentioned that many lacked control groups and relied solely on data captured during clinic visits rather than directly from patients.

 

New Study Reveals Long-COVID Isn't a Singular Syndrome

 

 

She said, “This study also provides information for healthcare providers about the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 that may appear and manifest in patients over time. It will help us understand how to treat long-term COVID-19 over time in a very specific way based on each patient’s symptom presentation.”

 

What sets this study apart is that people were able to directly report their symptoms, whether or not they received medical care.

“While it’s becoming increasingly clear that long-term COVID-19 is not a single syndrome, having data that shows several different, symptom-defined phenotypes is an important step toward developing evidence-based approaches to treat the millions experiencing persistent, lingering symptoms,” said Michael Gottlieb, Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine Research at Rush University Medical Center and lead author.

Stephens added that overall, this study will help determine funding and policy support for long-term COVID-19 projects: “We don’t want to forget about long-term COVID as we all return to ‘normal.’ New cases of long-term COVID are happening every day.”

Currently, the CDC estimates that 11% of people infected with COVID-19 are experiencing long-term COVID symptoms.

 

 

New Study Reveals Long-COVID Isn’t a Singular Syndrome

(source:internet, reference only)


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