Persistent long COVID symptoms associated with marker for autoimmune disorders: study

A new Canadian study has found that a quarter of those with long COVID are still experiencing at least one symptom a year later.

A new Canadian study has found that a quarter of those with long COVID are still experiencing at least one symptom a year later.

The majority of those struggling with long COVID were found to have recovered within 12 months, regardless of how severe their symptoms were, providing some hope for recovery rates.

But those with persistent symptoms were more likely to have higher levels of a marker for autoimmune disorders, suggesting that lingering symptoms may need more attention for recovery.

“Generally, one should not worry if they are feeling unwell right after their infection, as the chances of recovering within 12 months is very high, and just because you have typical long COVID symptoms at three months does not mean they will stay forever,” Manali Mukherjee, assistant professor of medicine at McMaster University and senior author of the study, said in a press release.

“However, the study highlights that at 12 months, if you still feel unwell and the symptoms are persisting or worsening, you should definitely seek medical attention.”

Long COVID is the term for those dealing with a varying set of persistent symptoms more than 12 weeks after recovering from a COVID-19 infection, ranging from crippling fatigue to muscle pain to neurological issues. According to the World Health Organization, anywhere from 10 to 20 per cent of those who contract COVID-19 have experienced some form of long COVID.

For this study, published in the peer-reviewed European Respiratory Journal, researchers from McMaster and the University of British Columbia focused on three of the most common symptoms: fatigue, cough and shortness of breath.