Not just COVID: New research shows long-lasting symptoms from other illnesses

(WXYZ) — In today’s Health Alert, it’s not just COVID symptoms that can persist for months. New research shows people can also develop long colds.

This latest study indicates that long-lasting symptoms are not unique to COVID-19. Researchers in the United Kingdom surveyed more than 10,000 citizens back in 2021 through an ongoing observational study of COVID-19. Participants who developed respiratory infections were quizzed on 16 specific symptoms. Of the participants who feel ill, 13% were diagnosed with COVID. And another 4.6% were diagnosed with non-COVID infections like the common cold, the flu, ear infections, bronchitis, tonsillitis, and pharyngitis.

Now, after analyzing data, here’s what was found. 22% of the participants diagnosed with COVID-19 suffered lingering symptoms after their infection. And 22% of the participants who did not test positive for COVID also reported lingering symptoms. But the persistent symptoms were different. The people recovering from COVID were more likely to report lightheadedness, dizziness, and issues with taste and smell. They also experienced heart palpitations, sweating, and loss of hair.

In contrast, people with a non-COVID infection were more likely to experience coughing, stomach pain, and diarrhea that lasted a month or more. So this shows that lingering symptoms aren’t just a COVID thing – other respiratory bugs can leave you feeling not well for quite a while afterward too.

The study suggests the sicker you are, the more likely you’ll experience long illness, regardless of the type of respiratory infection. Having said that, even milder cases can result in prolonged symptoms. So, it’s not quite clear why some people end up with lingering symptoms while others do not. But it wouldn’t surprise me if multiple factors were involved, like genetics, a person’s overall health, and the type of pathogen they’re infected with.

Now, what this study tells me is that we all need to do our best to keep our bodies healthy. That means eating nutrient-dense foods, cutting back on high-calorie junk foods, getting seven or more hours of sleep per night, drinking moderately, avoiding smoking, and getting 150 minutes of physical activity each week.

Also, you can protect yourself against some of these respiratory illnesses by getting vaccinated for the flu and COVID-19. RSV shots are also available for older adults – I recommend you speak with your family doctor about what you can do to avoid being infected in the first place.