Topline
A new study found a link between long Covid and an increased risk of developing autoimmune and autoinflammatory disorders like alopecia, Chron’s disease, psoriasis and vitiligo.
Medical personnel secure a sample from a person at a drive-thru Coronavirus COVID-19 testing … [+]
Key Facts
A new study published in JAMA on Friday found long Covid was associated with a greater risk for autoimmune and autoinflammatory connective tissue disorders.
The researchers recommend that because this link was found, doctors should monitor and test patients who previously had Covid for these diseases.
The study included 354,527 participants with Covid and 6,134,940 control participants without Covid and found the risks of alopecia areata, alopecia totalis, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis, Crohn’s disease and sarcoidosis were higher in the Covid group.
The more severe the Covid infection, the higher the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, vitiligo, alopecia totalis, vasculitis, ulcerative colitis, sarcoidosis, Sjögren syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis and adult-onset Still disease were.
Long Covid is lingering symptoms—like loss of smell or taste, chest pain, shortness of breath or brain fog—following recovery from a Covid infection that can last for weeks or even years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
The people most commonly affected by long Covid include those with underlying conditions, people who suffered from severe Covid symptoms, the unvaccinated and people who had multisystem inflammatory syndrome—a rare condition associated with Covid in which body parts like the kidneys and brain become inflamed—during or after Covid, the National Library of Medicine reports.
Big Number
23 million. That’s how many Americans are estimated to have symptoms of long Covid, according to data from the National Institute of Health.
Key Background
Long Covid has been linked to other disorders and issues. A study published in Science Translational Medicine in August affirmed the presence of long Covid and found organs like the liver, heart and kidneys may still be affected by Covid well after patients get over the virus. The lungs are the first organ affected by Covid infection, but the study also found that even if mitochondrial gene expression recovered in the lungs, it can still negatively impact other organs. Long Covid is also associated with an increased risk of developing cardiovascular issues, according to research from the American College of Cardiology published in February. Having long Covid more than doubled the participants’ chances of developing heart issues. A separate study published in the journal of International Urology and Nephrology found patients with long Covid face an increased risk of developing chronic kidney disease and have worse kidney outcomes in the post-acute phase of the disease. Long Covid has also been found to have negative effects on mental health as it’s been linked to fatigue, sleep disturbances, depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment and post-traumatic stress disorder, among other conditions, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports.
Tangent
Research published in the Lancet suggests that Covid vaccines reduce the risks of long Covid, with data suggesting two doses is more effective at protection than one. According to MedlinePlus, an arm of the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine, post-Covid symptoms may present in one of three ways: Patients may develop new health issues months after a Covid infection; they seem to recover from Covid, but their symptoms come back; or they have symptoms that can linger for a span of days to years. Though they look different for everyone, long Covid symptoms can include heart palpitations, chest pain, diarrhea, stomach pain, coughing, shortness of breath or neurologic symptoms—like brain fog, headaches or sleep problems. Because there’s not a specific test for long Covid, a physician will ask about a patient’s medical history, conduct a physical exam and then potentially order blood work and imaging tests in order to diagnose it.
Further Reading
Long Covid May Affect Organs Like The Heart And Kidneys After Lungs Recover, New Research Says (Forbes)
Long Covid Linked To Heart Problems: Here Are The Symptoms – And Who’s At Risk (Forbes)
FDA Authorizes Novavax’s New Covid Vaccine Designed To Protect Against The Latest Strain (Forbes)
It’s Okay To Get Your Covid, Flu And RSV Shots At The Same Time, Experts Say (Forbes)
More People Got Diabetes During The Covid Pandemic—Here’s Why (Forbes)
Covid’s No Longer A Public Health Emergency: Here’s How That May Affect You (Forbes)