The perplexity of the long COVID: an in-depth study detected more than 200 symptoms

With the passage of time and the evolution of the pandemic, doctors began to see in patients who had suffered a COVID-19 picture signs and symptoms of what they then called Prolonged COVID, long COVID or post COVID syndrome. These are no more and no less affections in organs that go beyond the respiratory system and are typical of the systemic inflammatory condition that SARS-CoV-2 causes in the body.

Of those who have suffered from infection with the novel coronavirus, many report experiencing dullness, mental sluggishness, memory loss, brain fog, confusion, or excessive effort to remember something after an epidemiological discharge. . There are also those who report feeling tired, persistent cough, tachycardia and others.

An in-depth study published today in the journal The Lancet detected 203 symptoms that persisted for up to seven months in 3,762 people analyzed in 56 countries.

Researchers at University College London (UCL) have conducted the largest peer-reviewed research into prolonged symptoms of COVID to date. And following the results, they called for a UK national screening program for prolonged COVID and the expansion of diagnostic testing beyond cardiovascular and respiratory disease.

“In this study, we quantify the duration of the disease, as well as the prevalence of symptoms, the time course of the probability, the severity, the number, the time of onset and the temporal clustering”, detailed the researchers. among the published findings. We also measure fatigue using the Fatigue Rating Scale. And the return to baseline and employment status ”.

The most common persistent symptoms among those they found were fatigue, post-exercise discomfort (worsening of symptoms after physical or mental exertion), and cognitive dysfunction, often referred to as brain fog.

Too they detected others such as visual hallucinations, itchy skin, changes in the menstrual cycle, sexual dysfunction, bladder control problems, diarrhea, heart palpitations and tinnitus.

According to the authors, The 203 symptoms studied were obtained from a combination of previous research, existing case reports, a review of the literature, and content shared by patients in support groups and on social media.

The study was open to anyone over the age of 18 suspected of prolonged COVID-19, and the survey was created by a team of COVID-19 patients who are members of Body Politic’s COVID-19 online support group. and formed the Collaboration. research.

Among the most relevant results, they reported that 91.8% of those surveyed continued to suffer from symptoms after seven months and 96% after three months. For those who were still ill after three months, the symptom count peaked at 17 in the second month.

People who have been symptomatic for more than six months experienced an average of 14 symptoms after the seventh month. And on average, patients suffered from 56 different symptoms in nine organ systems.

The vast majority (89.1%) experienced relapses of their disease, most of the time caused by physical or mental activity or stress.

And after pointing out that “Long-term COVID patients have reported long-term multisystem involvement and significant disability”, the study authors noted that by seven months, many patients had not yet recovered (mainly systemic and neurological / cognitive symptoms), had not returned to previous working levels, and were still feeling a significant symptom burden.

“The aim of this study was to better describe the patient experience and the recovery process in people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 disease., with particular emphasis on the prolonged COVID experience. The unique approach of this study used patient-oriented research to build an evidence base for medical research, improving care and promoting the long-term COVID population, the researchers added between the findings. . In this study, we investigated the patient experience, focusing on the evolution of symptoms and their severity over time with an in-depth examination of neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms, recovery and return to the baseline, including the impact on the job. Other topics studied in the survey will be included in future reports. “

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