Scientists from King’s College London have identified three types of long COVID, each of which has its own symptoms. According to the study – which looked at more than 1,000 people living with post-COVID syndrome – there are three different subtypes- one that consists of neurologic symptoms, one that consists of respiratory symptoms, and one that consists of autoimmune systems.
Those in the first group experienced neurological symptoms such as poor memory, headaches, brain fog, and fatigue. They’re generally more common in those who were infected with the alpha or delta variants of the virus.
Those in the second group experienced respiratory symptoms like severe shortness of breath, palpitations, and chessman.
The third group consisted of those who had an immune-related response. For example, an individual may experience anemia, musculoskeletal pain, malaise, fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, or myalgia.
The good news is that the risk of developing long COVID is much lower (20% to 50% less than other variants) among those who are infected with the omicron variant. And those who do develop long COVID typically experience milder symptoms.
However, the strain’s greater infectiousness also means that more people are getting sick. In other words, the number of infected individuals is higher than other variants, which means more people are at risk of developing long COVID. In fact, the number of patients seeking care in long COVID clinics has remained steady despite the change in variants, according to Dr. Marathe of Boston University School of Medicine. Nationwide, more than 7 percent of all adults are currently experiencing long COVID symptoms.
It’s also important to note that we still do not know who is at risk for post-COVID syndrome and why they are at risk. More studies will be necessary to confirm the findings and to determine the overall impact on human health.
