In a study from Northeastern and elsewhere, scientists found new information about the prevalence of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, otherwise known as “long COVID.”
They used data from eight waves of the COVID States Project, an online survey that spans all 50 states and was administered to more than 16,000 people every six weeks between Feb. 5, 2021, and July 6, 2022.
The team identified the degree to which women showed a higher risk of developing long COVID.
Women are almost twice as likely to get long COVID, controlling for everything else.
The study also found that older adults were more at risk, with the risk increasing every decade above age 40.
The findings also showed that each subsequent COVID-19 variant has led to less long COVID, although he acknowledges there is still not enough data to confirm definitively whether that will continue.
Notably, the researchers found that the prevalence of long COVID among survey respondents, about 15% of U.S. adults, lined up well with similar studies in other countries.
Researchers and medical professionals are still working to gain a better understanding of long COVID, and the team says every piece of information about post-COVID conditions is valuable.
Symptoms can vary widely, from consistent, long-term fatigue to respiratory and heart issues, and can even be critical in some cases.
The results of the study indicated vaccines also helped mitigate the risk of long COVID.
Those who had received the first two doses of their COVID-19 vaccine had a 30% decrease in risk, and the scope of the published study did not yet include data with booster shots.
The researchers hope to continue the study until next summer to continue learning more about long COVID and inform clinicians and public health officials about the impacts of COVID-19 beyond the initial infection.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about how vitamin B may help fight COVID-19, and new therapy from bananas may help treat COVID-19.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies about new evidence on rare blood clots after COVID-19 vaccination, and results showing scientists find inexpensive, readily available drug that may treat COVID-19.
The study was conducted by Mauricio Santillana et al and published in JAMA Network Open.
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