By the end of 2022, approximately one out of every seven individuals in the United States had experienced long Covid, suggests a large-scale investigation of long Covid and symptom prevalence by academics at UCL and Dartmouth.
Having had long Covid is associated with anxiety and low mood, as well as an increased likelihood of continued physical mobility problems and challenges with memory, concentration, or understanding, according to the findings published in the journal PLOS ONE.
The risk of anxiety and low mood appeared to be lower for those who have been vaccinated, including for those who have had long Covid.
Co-author Professor Alex Bryson (UCL Social Research Institute) said: “Little is known about long Covid and its impact on health and wellbeing, but there is a growing body of evidence that many people experience persistent and concerning symptoms.
“Here, we have found that long Covid continues to affect millions of people in the US, with some groups much more affected than others. Those who have ever had long Covid remain more likely to report low mood, challenges in carrying out daily tasks, and challenges with memory, concentration, and understanding, compared to people who have never had long Covid.”
Extensive Data Analysis by Researchers
The researchers reviewed data from 461,550 people who responded to the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey from June to December 2022. They were comparing people who said they had never had DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292672