In a new study from the University of Southern California published in the journal Scientific Reporters, 23% Corona virus infectionIt is predicted who will suffer from “long-term Covid” and develop debilitating symptoms that can last for months.

The study’s principal investigator, Qiao Wu, said in a statement published on the official website ofUniversity of Southern California“Covid is a long-term, major public health concern, and 23% is a very high prevalence rate, which could translate to millions of people.. More knowledge about its prevalence, persistent symptoms and risk factors can help healthcare professionals allocate resources and help patients return to their normal lives. Assistive Services.

The study found that obesity and hair loss during infection were predictive factors for long-term COVID-19, but other underlying conditions such as diabetes or smoking status had no clear association with its symptoms.

Although the virus is an acute illness that usually lasts three weeks, some people with Covid-19 have symptoms that last for months or longer.

The World Health Organization defines “prolonged Covid” as symptoms lasting 12 weeks or more, a definition the study relied on.

Researchers usedUniversity of Southern CaliforniaA nationwide online survey conducted by the Center for Economic and Social Research (CESR) at Southern University’s College of Arts, Sciences, and Sciences with 8,000 participants from across the United States, the Coronavirus-Surveillance Survey in the United States.

Revealing

From March 2020 to March 2021, the researchers invited participants to answer bimonthly questions about Covid-19, and the final sample consisted of 308 infected and non-hospitalized individuals interviewed one month before, at the time of infection and 12 weeks later.

After accounting for pre-existing symptoms, about 23% of participants reported developing new symptoms during an infection lasting more than 12 weeks, according to the study’s definition of chronic coronavirus.

The most common new and persistent symptoms experienced by Covid patients over a long period of time are headache (22%), runny or stuffy nose (19%), abdominal pain (18%), fatigue (17%) and diarrhea (13%).

In addition, the researchers found that people who were more likely to be infected with “long-term Covid” developed obesity, hair loss and sore throats during the time they were infected with the virus.

There is no evidence regarding the long-term risk of developing “Covid” among people with certain pre-existing health conditions, such as diabetes or asthma, and there are no clear associations between demographic factors such as infection and age. , had no clear association with gender, race, or education, as well as current smoking status.

“The significant association between long-term covid disease and obesity is consistent with previous studies, and we differ from some current studies because we did not find an association between long-term covid and any sociodemographic factors,” says Elaine Crimmins. at the Leonard Davis School of the University of Southern California.