Long Covid-19 refers to a range of conditions that can affect different tissues and organs in the body following a viral infection.
The study examined data from 9,764 adults — 8,646 who had Covid-19 and 1,118 who did not. (Creative Commons)
After conducting a thorough analysis of almost 10,000 patients, a majority of whom were diagnosed with Covid-19, researchers have identified 12 distinct symptoms that differentiate individuals with long Covid-19 from those without it.
Long Covid-19 refers to a range of conditions that can affect different tissues and organs in the body following an infection.
Furthermore, the research team discovered that long Covid-19 was more prevalent and severe in individuals infected prior to the emergence of the Omicron variant in 2021.
The study, led by the National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER Initiative and supported by NYU Langone Health, presents an expanded working definition of long Covid-19.
According to Leora Horwitz, the study’s author and co-principal investigator for the RECOVER Clinical Science Core at NYU Langone Health, this research represents a crucial step in defining long Covid-19 that goes beyond individual symptoms.
She emphasised that this definition, which may evolve with time, will serve as a vital foundation for scientific advancements and the development of treatment strategies.
The study, coordinated through Researching Covid-19 to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) initiative of National Institutes of Health (NIH), US, examined data from 9,764 adults — 8,646 who had Covid-19 and 1,118 who did not have Covid-19.
The study estimates that approximately 6 percent of individuals who contracted the virus continue to experience the collection of symptoms known as long Covid-19. More than 200 symptoms, affecting various organ systems in the body, are associated with post-Covid-19 conditions.
The study examined 37 symptoms across different areas and organs of the body. Through statistical analyses, researchers identified 12 symptoms that most clearly distinguished those with long Covid-19 from those without.
By assigning points to each of these 12 symptoms, the research team generated a score for each participant based on symptom combinations. They discovered that 23 percent of individuals with a previous Covid-19 infection surpassed the study threshold for long Covid-19.
Using these scores, the researchers identified certain symptoms occurring more frequently in specific patient groups and defined four clusters based on these patterns of symptoms.
Additionally, unvaccinated individuals, those who had Covid-19 before the Omicron strain emerged in 2021, and those who experienced re-infections were associated with a higher frequency and severity of long Covid-19.
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