Long COVID symptoms affect 1 in 8 adults, some for 2 years

Three new studies report on long-COVID symptoms and medical conditions in adults and children, with the first finding that one in eight adults experiences lingering symptoms; another detailing new cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic findings in children; and a third finding persistent loss of taste and smell after 2 years.12.7% report long-COVID symptoms An observational study from the Netherlands published today in The Lancet analyzed the nature, prevalence, and severity of long-COVID symptoms in 4,231 adult COVID-19 survivors and 8,462 matched controls 3 to 5 months after infection or matched date, before the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in that country.The authors used data from Lifelines, a prospective, population-based cohort study on the health and health-related behaviors of the Dutch population.

All adult participants were invited to complete the same online questionnaire 24 times on 23 physical long-COVID symptoms after recovery from infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Alpha variant or previously circulating strains from Mar 31, 2020, to Aug 2, 2021.

Average participant age was 53.7 years, and 60.8% were women.COVID-19 survivors reported chest pain, shortness of breath, painful breathing and muscles, loss of taste or smell, tingling and heaviness of the arms and legs, a lump in the throat, feeling hot and then cold, and fatigue at 3 to 5 months.Of all patients, 12.7% had symptoms attributable to COVID-19, and 381 of 1,782 survivors (21.4%) and 361 of 4,130 (8.7%) of controls reported that at least one symptom became at least moderately severe by 3 months, then usually plateaued.

Other symptoms, including headache, itchy eyes, dizziness, back pain, and nausea, didn't become more severe.In a Lancet press release, senior