Researchers Identify Common Long COVID Symptoms and Potential Causes for The Condition

Chronic COVID, also called Long COVID, is becoming an increasingly concerning condition where people who have recovered from the initial infection are still facing a number of health problems that make it difficult to get through everyday life. A recent study led by Jonathan Silverberg from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences found that after having COVID-19, almost 25% of participants had chronic symptoms most commonly fatigue, changes in smell or taste, and muscle/joint aches. The study also found that women,  severity of acute COVID-19 infection, and higher anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels were associated with the highest risk of having chronic COVID-19 symptoms.

“Our study helps better understand the main chronic COVID symptoms and who is most likely to face this new condition,” Silverberg said. ”We hope these results will inform future research into the mechanisms of chronic COVID symptoms and developing ways to prevent and treat these conditions.” 

The paper, “Predictors of chronic COVID-19 symptoms in a community-based cohort of adults” published in PLOS ONE on August 4, 2022.