Out of 55 long-term effects from COVID, which are the most common?
“Long COVID” describes a range of ongoing health problems weeks or even months after recovering from a COVID-19 infection. A study in the U.K. found that 25% of people aged 35-69 still had symptoms five weeks after diagnosis. The symptoms of long COVID are plentiful – researchers have identified 55 of them -- and can range from fatigue to sleep disorders.
Here is a look at the top 10 most common long-term effects from COVID:
- Fatigue (58%)
- Headaches (44%)
- Attention disorder (27%)
- Hair loss (25%)
- Difficulty breathing (24%)
- Loss of taste (23%)
- Loss of smell (21%)
- Heavy breathing/panting/sweating (21%)
- Joint pain (19%)
- Cough (19%)
Both anxiety and depression made the list, which correlates to other studies on COVID’s impact on mental health. According to a report published late last year, 18 percent of COVID-19 patients developed a mental health issue — like depression, anxiety, or dementia — within three months of diagnosis. Their risk was doubled compared to people who didn’t have COVID-19. Though Researchers continue to work to understand exactly how the virus impacts brain function.
Other symptoms may be a bit surprising, like hearing loss or ringing in the ears (15%) or skin and dermatological issues (12%). Medical experts know that a severe case of COVID-19 can result in long-term damage to the lungs, heart, kidneys, brain and other organs, but it’s important to note that even people who get a mild case not requiring hospitalizations are at risk for developing long-term symptoms.