Lasting effects: study paints picture of complex symptoms that define long Covid infections
About a tenth of people who caught the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi suffered lasting symptoms, a study suggests.
The majority went on to make a full recovery.
The study of 2,000 former coronavirus patients found 92 per cent recovered with no lasting symptoms, while 8 per cent experienced lasting effects – similar to international findings, officials said.
Five per cent had symptoms for more than eight weeks.
Long Covid can cause fatigue, shortness of breath and depression.
“Mood and energy levels were the most common symptoms of long Covid, with 52 per cent feeling tired, 35 per cent having a persistent cough, and 27 per cent reporting a negative mood,” said Department of Health Abu Dhabi, which conducted the study.
It also found that adults with long Covid were twice as likely as children to be taken to hospital for treatment.
However, the need for hospital treatment was “rare for those aged 19 or under without comorbidities”, the study said.
The risk was higher in groups including smokers, vapers, and people who were severely overweight or had asthma.
“Comorbidities were present in many people who developed severe Covid-19 symptoms, or required hospitalisation,” the department said.
In total, 6 per cent of smokers and 13 per cent of vapers who took part in the study required treatment in hospital.
Of those who required treatment in hospital, 31 per cent were obese, 24 per cent had asthma, 14 per cent had a respiratory condition, 14 per cent had high blood pressure, and 6 per cent had diabetes.
More than 200 symptoms of the condition have been identified, including hallucinations, tremors, itchy skin, changes to the menstrual cycle, sexual dysfunction, heart palpitations, bladder control issues, shingles, memory loss, blurred vision, diarrhoea and tinnitus.
The cause of long Covid is still not understood. One theory is that its symptoms could be caused by an autoimmune response to the initial infection.
Researchers from Imperial College London found a pattern of “rogue” antibodies in the blood of a small number of people with long-Covid symptoms.
The so-called autoantibodies were not present in people who recovered quickly.
The researchers hope to develop a blood test to diagnose the condition, which will be ready in six to 18 months.