Infection
It’s not COVID but symptoms won’t pass? You may have a ‘long cold’
Oct
People who test negative for the coronavirus but experience a lingering cough, fatigue or digestive issues may suffer from “long colds,” according to a new study.
Contrary to the common belief that respiratory infections like colds and flu vanish within a week, the findings published Friday in the Lancet scientific journal suggest that they can lead to health complications persisting for more than four weeks after the initial illness, often escaping detection.
Following an analysis of 10,203 participants, researchers from the Queen Mary University of London discovered that 22% of individuals, both those who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — and those who tested negative but suffered from other respiratory infections, experienced prolonged symptoms after their infections had supposedly cleared.
“In other words, our findings hinted towards the existence of a ‘long cold’: long-lasting health effects from other respiratory infections, such as colds, flu, or pneumonia, that are currently going unrecognized,” wrote Giulia Vivaldi, a statistician and epidemiologist, who led the study.
While the researchers identified many overlapping symptoms between “long colds” and long COVID — like breathlessness and fatigue — there were notable distinctions.
Individuals grappling with the aftermath of other respiratory infections were less likely to report symptoms like dizziness, lightheadedness, or loss of taste and smell. Instead, these patients frequently suffered from coughing, stomach pain, and diarrhea, which were reported an average of approximately 11 weeks post-infection.
The study indicated that the severity of the initial illness played a crucial role in determining the risk of developing long-term symptoms. However, it did not definitively establish whether these symptoms persisted for a similar duration as observed in long COVID cases.
The researchers said their findings have far-reaching implications, shedding light on the challenges faced by long COVID patients and the broader spectrum of post-infection syndromes.
“A lack of awareness, or even the lack of a common term, such as ‘long cold’ or ‘long flu,’ prevents both reporting and diagnosis of these conditions,” Vivaldi said.
More than 15% of American adults have experienced long COVID, characterized by more than 200 symptoms like brain fog, exhaustion, and loss of smell and taste, persisting for weeks, months, or even years post-infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The scientists at Queen Mary University of London emphasized the need for further research to understand why some individuals face lingering health issues post-infection.
“In demanding recognition of their condition, people with long COVID have cast a much-needed spotlight on post-infection syndromes more generally,” Vivaldi said. “Now is the time to improve our understanding, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.”
Reach Aidin Vaziri: [email protected]
