June 19, 2023 – According to English researchers, individuals with Long COVID suffer from more severe fatigue than individuals with certain kinds of cancer or who're recovering from a stroke.
The study defined “Long COVID” as symptoms that last for at the very least 12 weeks and include fatigue, shortness of breath, anxiety, depression and difficulty concentrating.
The Results were published earlier this month within the magazine BMJ open. The researchers examined data from 3,754 people within the UK who were referred to special COVID-19 clinics for treatment. Almost all people were between 18 and 65 years old, the common age was 48; 71% were women.
As a part of their treatment, people used a digital health program and entered data right into a smartphone app. They usually reported on their symptoms, quality of life and performance when it comes to work and social life. Data were included from individuals who began using the app between November 2020 and March 2022.
Half of the study participants reported being unable to work for at the very least at some point up to now month, and one in five reported being unable to work in any respect. The researchers found a powerful link between fatigue and folks's ability to operate socially or go to work.
The latest CDC estimate states that about 15% of adults within the United States have Long COVID. The disease is roofed by the Americans With Disabilities Act.
“Long COVID is an invisible disease, and many people are having to cope with the significant changes in their functioning,” said researcher William Henley, PhD, professor of medical statistics on the University of Exeter Medical School, in a opinion“Shockingly, our research has shown that Long COVID can cause people to experience worse fatigue and poorer quality of life than some cancers, but the support and understanding is not at the same level.”
Henley called for more research to search out ways to support people still battling Long COVID.