- Researchers say there may be lasting health impacts from non-COVID acute respiratory illnesses that are going unrecognized.
- Those who have an acute respiratory illness but test negative for COVID-19 may experience a similar burden of lingering symptoms as those with long COVID.
- Both long COVID and lingering symptoms from other acute respiratory illnesses decrease health-related quality of life
- Experts say better definitions are needed to make diagnosis of lingering conditions easier.
As studies into long COVID continue, researchers have identified that long-term symptoms from other acute respiratory infections may be going unnoticed.
“Our findings may chime with the experience of people who have struggled with prolonged symptoms after having a respiratory infection despite testing negative for COVID-19 on a nose or throat swab,” Adrian Martineau, the chief investigator of COVIDENCE UK and a clinical professor of Respiratory Infection and Immunity at Queen Mary University of London, said in a press statement.
“Ongoing research into the long-term effects of COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections is important because it can help us to get to the root of why some people experience more prolonged symptoms than others. Ultimately this could help us to identify the most appropriate form of treatment and care for affected people,” he added.
The researchers compared the severity and prevalence of long term symptoms following COVID-19 and following other acute respiratory infections in which the person tested negative for the novel coronavirus.
Data was collected from COVIDENCE UK, a…
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