Long Covid More Severe In Women Than Men, Suggests Study - Mint
The study found that 91% of patients, who were followed up for five months on average, continued to experience Covid-19 symptoms. Breathlessness was the most common symptom of long Covid-19, followed by fatigue
Post-coronavirus complications, also called long Covid syndrome, induce more symptoms in women than men, a new study has found.
The new research, published in the Journal of Women's Health, revealed that women were statistically more likely to experience an array of long Covid symptoms, including difficulty swallowing, fatigue, chest pain, and palpitations, as compared to men.
The researchers from the University of Parma, and University-Hospital of Parma, Italy, enrolled 223 patients (89 women and 134 men) who were infected by SARS-CoV-2.
They found that 91% of patients, who were followed up for five months on average, continued to experience Covid-19 symptoms. Breathlessness was the most common symptom of long Covid-19, followed by fatigue.
But through it all, females suffered more than males.
It was observed that women were more likely to report dyspnea, weakness, thoracic pain, palpitations, and sleep disturbance but not myalgia and cough.
"Sex was found to be an important determinant of Long-Covid-19 syndrome because it is a significant predictor of persistent symptoms in women, such as dyspnea, fatigue, chest pain, and palpitations," the researchers said.
"Our results suggest the need for long-term follow-up of these patients from a sex perspective to implement early preventive and personalised therapeutic strategies," they added.
Further, they stressed long-term research to understand sex-related symptoms and their treatments.
"Long-term longitudinal studies are needed to fully understand the sex-related pathophysiology of the symptoms and the effects of pharmacological treatment related to Long Covid-19," the authors of the study noted.
"These studies will be crucial to understanding the natural trajectory of Long Covid-19 in order to implement targeted treatment strategies and to prevent bias in treating males and females," they added.
WHO on long Covid
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), people with what it calls “post Covid-19 condition" have symptoms usually three months after an initial bout of Covid that last for at least two months and can’t be explained by an alternative diagnosis.
Ailments may persist from the initial illness or appear after the acute phase of the disease – even one with no noticeable symptoms. They may also fluctuate.
The WHO has also said that long Covid will be a part of our future and it requires much more attention than we are giving it.
However, the chances of contracting severe diseases due to long Covid can be reduced significantly through vaccination, the UN health agency also noted.
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21 Apr 2022, 05:07 PM IST