Learn about the 12 symptoms that define Covid-19, according to a new study

The knowledge about the impacts of the coronavirus infection on the human organism is dynamically updated, in accordance with clinical reports from the most diverse parts of the world.

Over the last two three years, the understanding of the new disease has evolved significantly, with the description of prolonged symptoms, a clinical picture known as Covid longa. Clinical symptoms can vary, including fatigue, nevoa, and dizziness, and last for months or years after initial infection.

A new study, conducted in the United States, reveals details about the health problem by gathering 12 symptoms that differentiate the condition from the common infection. The results of the research, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH in English), two USA, have been published in the scientific journal JAMA.

The analysis, which included the participation of nearly 10,000 people in the United States, suggested that Covid-19 was more common and severe in participants who were infected before the emergence of the Ômicron variant, in November 2021.

12 symptoms

The researchers will examine data from 9,764 adults, including 8,646 who have Covid-19 and 1,118 who do not have a doença. They will evaluate more than 30 symptoms in various parts and organs of the body and apply statistical analyzes that will identify 12 symptoms that most differentiate those with long-term Covid:

• sickness after exertion,
• fatigue,
• mental confusion,
• foolishness,
• gastrointestinal disorders,
• heart palpitations,
• problems with sexual desire or ability,
• loss of smell or palate,
• campus,
• chronic cough,
• dor no peito
• and abnormal movements.

From there, the specialists will establish a scoring system based on the symptoms reported by the patients. By assigning points to each of the 12 symptoms, each patient is given a score based on the symptom combinations.

With these scores, they will then discover a significant limit to identify participants with Covid longa. Furthermore, we will observe that some sinais will co-occur and define four subgroups with a variety of health impacts.

Based on a subset of 2.2 thousand patients who had a first infection by Covid-19 after December 1, 2021, when the Ômicron variant was circulating, about 10% presented long-term symptoms after six months. Second study, the results are based on a search of a highly diversified group of patients and are not definitive. In a next step, the research results will be compared for precision purposes with a series of laboratory tests and images.

At this time, more than 100 million Americans were infected with the coronavirus. In April, a federal government survey revealed that about 6% of people infected with the virus still suffer from various symptoms.

“This study is an important step to define Covid-19 beyond any individual symptom,” said study author Leora Horwitz, director of the Center for Healthcare Innovation and Delivery Science, in a statement. “This approach — which can evolve over time — will serve as the basis for scientific discovery and the definition of treatment,” she adds.

In addition to establishing the scoring system, the specialists will discover that the participants who were not vaccinated or who had been trained before the emergence of the Ômicron presented a higher probability of having long-term Covid, in addition to more serious cases. Furthermore, reinfections are also associated with a higher frequency and severity of two prolonged symptoms in comparison with people infected only once.

Studying the biological mechanisms and the consequences of coronavirus infection can advance medical interventions and prevent the development of new treatments, say the researchers.

“Patients who suffer from Covid for a long time deserve the attention and respect of the medical area, as well as care and treatment guided by their experiences. As the treatments are developed, it will be important to consider the complete profile of two symptoms”, says David C. Goff, director of the Division of Cardiovascular Science at the National Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood, part of the NIH.

The study is coordinated by the NIH Researching Covid to Enhance Recovery (Recover) initiative, a national effort dedicated to understanding why some people develop long-term symptoms after Covid-19.