Public health experts are divided over how many people are getting long COVID-19, a potentially debilitating condition that comes after a patient has recovered from the coronavirus.
Ill effects from the condition can include fatigue, pain, neurological issues and even changes in mental health.
Initially, public health officials believed that only a small minority of people would suffer from long COVID-19. But some studies now indicate a majority of those infected with the coronavirus are experiencing long COVID-19 symptoms.
Still, estimates on the numbers of people with long COVID are all over the map.
Researchers from the Penn State College of Medicine found that more than half of COVID-19 survivors had long COVID-19.
Another study from the University of Arizona found that about 2 out of 3 people who experienced mild or moderate cases of coronavirus had long-lasting symptoms.
Other reports have been more conservative, estimating anywhere between 10 to 30 percent of those infected develop long-term symptoms. Those who experience ongoing symptoms from long COVID-19 have sometimes come to be known as COVID-19 long haulers.
One problem in figuring out how many people get long COVID-19 is defining it.
Apart from the wide range of symptoms, there is still debate over when a person is considered to have long COVID-19. Some health care authorities consider a patient to have the condition if symptoms persist after three to six weeks, while other think it should be considered on a longer basis.
Jim Heath, president and professor at the Institute for Systems Biology, is leading the Pacific Northwest consortium researching long COVID-19 as part of the National Institute of Health's (NIH) RECOVER initiative, which is looking into the post-COVID-19 condition and potential ways of preventing and treating it.
Heath told The Hill that if one definition of long COVID-19 was being used — one in which symptoms lingered about four to six weeks after infection — then roughly half of those infected would be considered to have long COVID-19.
According to Heath, an estimate of 15 to 20 percent of coronavirus survivors experiencing long COVID-19 after six months was a reasonable "educated guess" and he added that there was evidence to support that rate of occurrence.
When reached for comment by The Hill, the NIH said initial studies have found that at least half of COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized reported "persistent weakness or fatigue" months after their recovery.
Studies on the prevalence of long COVID-19 have been "relatively few," according to the NIH, and they have all focused on people who had symptomatic cases of COVID-19.
The NIH said numerous observational studies in both children and adults are being conducted to find potential treatments for long haulers. The agency has requested applications for new clinical trials to launch this summer to test potential ways of preventing and treating long COVID-19.
"In contrast to the wealth of prior knowledge that led to the vaccines for Sars-CoV-2 and a host of other viruses, there is much less known about what causes persistent symptoms following infectious illnesses or how to best treat them. As a consequence, there is more knowledge needed to fuel the scientific advances to come," the NIH said.
News
Study finds higher heart disease risk in long COVID patients
People with long COVID are at increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study from Karolinska Institutet published in eClinicalMedicine. The results show that the risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias [...]
The Corona variant Cicada is here – we know that
Online and on social media, reports are piling up about a new Sars-Cov-2 variant that is currently on the rise: BA.3.2, also known as Cicada. That's what it's all about: The Omicron variant BA.3.2, [...]
A Simple Blood Test Could Predict Dementia Risk 25 Years Early
A single blood marker may quietly signal dementia risk decades in advance. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have identified a blood signal that could forecast dementia risk decades before symptoms begin. Their [...]
Sperm Get Lost in Space and Scientists Finally Know Why
Having a baby in space may be far more complicated than expected, as new research shows sperm struggle to find their way in microgravity. Starting a family beyond Earth could be more complicated than [...]
Digital Dementia – Brain fog and disassociation from being chronically online
New medical evidence, featured on 60 Minutes Australia, indicates excessive screen time is causing "digital dementia" in young Australians, with brain scans showing physical shrinkage and damage. Experts warn that high device usage (6-8 hours [...]
A new, highly mutated COVID variant called ‘Cicada’ is spreading in the US.
BA.3.2, a heavily mutated new COVID-19 variant which may be better able to escape immunity from vaccines or prior infection, is now spreading in the United States. Although COVID cases are currently low nationally, [...]
Molecular Manufacturing: The Future of Nanomedicine – New book from NanoappsMedical Inc.
This book explores the revolutionary potential of atomically precise manufacturing technologies to transform global healthcare, as well as practically every other sector across society. This forward-thinking volume examines how envisaged Factory@Home systems might enable the cost-effective [...]
Ancient bacteria strain discovered in ice cave is resistant to some modern antibiotics
In the depths of Scarisoara cave in Romania sits one of the world’s biggest underground glaciers, a monumental slab of ice the size of roughly 40 Olympic swimming pools that began to form around [...]
Scientists Identify “Good” Bacteria That May Prevent Long COVID
According to the WHO, about 6% of people worldwide who get COVID-19, roughly 400 million people, later develop a long-lasting form of the illness. That shows the condition remains a significant public health challenge. In [...]
New book from Nanoappsmedical Inc. – Global Health Care Equivalency
A new book by Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc. Founder. This groundbreaking volume explores the vision of a Global Health Care Equivalency (GHCE) system powered by artificial intelligence and quantum computing technologies, operating on secure [...]
RNA Recycling Extends Lifespan
Summary: Researchers discovered a biological “trash disposal” mechanism that directly controls how fast we age. While circular RNA has long been known to accumulate in cells as we get older, this study proves for the [...]
Cancer’s Deadly Paradox: How Tumors Break Their Own DNA To Keep Growing
Cancer’s strongest gene switches push DNA into damaging overdrive, creating repeated breaks and repairs that may fuel tumor evolution while exposing possible therapeutic weak spots. A new study indicates that cancer can harm its own genetic [...]
NanoMedical Brain/Cloud Interface – Explorations and Implications. A new book from Frank Boehm
New book from Frank Boehm, NanoappsMedical Inc Founder: This book explores the future hypothetical possibility that the cerebral cortex of the human brain might be seamlessly, safely, and securely connected with the Cloud via [...]
Our books now available worldwide!
Online Sellers other than Amazon, Routledge, and IOPP Indigo Global Health Care Equivalency in the Age of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine and Artifcial Intelligence Global Health Care Equivalency In The Age Of Nanotechnology, Nanomedicine And Artificial [...]
Ryugu asteroid samples contain all DNA and RNA building blocks, bolstering origin-of-life theories
All the essential ingredients to make the DNA and RNA underpinning life on Earth have been discovered in samples collected from the asteroid Ryugu, scientists said Monday. The discovery comes after these building blocks [...]
Is Berberine Really a “Natural Ozempic”?
Often labeled a “natural Ozempic,” berberine is widely discussed as a metabolic aid. Yet research suggests its influence may lie deeper. In recent years, berberine has gained significant attention as a supposed “natural way” [...]
