Can a past mental state affect your chances of getting a long covid? There has been a decrease in the number of coronavirus cases globally as compared to wreaking havoc in the last two years. However, one must keep in mind that the reign of Covid cases is not over yet and it still takes lives.
A recent study at Harvard has linked stages of anxiety, depression, and loneliness with an increased risk of suffering long covid, Studies have shown that people who went through periods of anxiety, depression and loneliness before becoming infected with the corona virus are more likely to develop long covid.
The finding of the study, conducted by researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The study noted that psychological distress prior to infection was associated with a higher risk of post-Covid-19 conditions such as prolonged covid.
Specifically, the study said, the susceptibility of people with psychological distress to chronic COVID is independent of smoking habits, asthma and other health behaviors or physical health conditions.
What is Long Covid?
Long covid refers to the long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus infection in the body. According to the US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this includes a wide range of ongoing health problems, which can last for days, weeks and even months, once someone is tested positive for COVID-19. diagnosis is made.
What are the symptoms of long covid?
Fatigue, shortness of breath, memory problems, loss of concentration, sleep problems, persistent cough, chest pain, trouble speaking, muscle pain, loss of smell and taste, onset of depression and anxiety are some of the most commonly reported symptoms . Long covid.
the study
The study was conducted in April 2020 among 54,000 people who were asked about their psychological distress at the start of the research. The following year, 3000 participants became COVID positive and were then asked about the symptoms and duration of symptoms.
How Mental Health Makes Long Susceptible to Covid?
An analysis of the data showed that mental distress prior to COVID-19 infection, which included depression, anxiety, anxiety, perceived stress and loneliness, was associated with a 32-46 percent increased risk of prolonged COVID-19. Mental well-being has also been associated with other illnesses in the past. It is associated with greater severity and longer duration of symptoms in influenza.
“We need to consider psychological health in addition to physical health as risk factors for COVID-19 in the long run. These results also strengthen the need to raise public awareness of the importance of mental health and access to mental health care for those in need,” Andrea Roberts, senior research scientist and senior author of the JAMA Psychiatry paper, said in a statement. .
Women are at higher risk of chronic covid than men
Based on a recent report, WHO has recently said that women suffer the most from Covid for a longer period of time than men.
The WHO report said, “Modeling also shows that women are twice as likely to experience prolonged COVID as men. In addition, severe COVID-19 cases requiring hospitalization are The risk rises dramatically in the U.S., with one in three women and one in five men likely to develop a prolonged covid.”
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