Experts from King’s College London looked at 1,459 people living with prolonged Covid – defined by the study authors as having symptoms for at least 84 days after infection – and found that there appeared to be three ‘subtypes’ of the condition. A preprint of the study, published on medRxiv, revealed that people with long Covid appeared to fall into three main groups, including:
Those with neurological symptoms including fatigue, brain fog and headache – most common among those infected when the most dominant strains were alpha and delta. A second group experienced respiratory symptoms, including chest pain and shortness of breath. This was found most often among those infected during the first wave of the virus. A latter group who experience a range of symptoms including palpitations, muscle aches and pains and changes to the skin and hair, King’s College said.
But the researchers said the three subtypes were evident in all variants. Clinical lead author Dr Claire Steves, from King’s College London, said: “These data clearly show that post-Covid syndrome is not just one condition, but appears to have many subtypes. “Understanding the underlying causes of these subtypes can help find treatment strategies. “Furthermore, these data highlight the need for long-term Covid services to incorporate a personalized approach sensitive to each individual’s issues.” Dr Liane Canas, from King’s College London, who was also involved in the study, added: “These insights could help develop personalized diagnosis and treatment for these individuals.” Flight attendant Catherine Francis, 29, was forced to quit her job in March after suffering Covid symptoms 17 months after contracting the disease (PA Ready) Last week, it emerged that one in 20 people who get Covid-19 have long-term problems with smell or taste as a result, according to research published in the BMJ, which looked at data from 18 studies involving 3,699 patients. This could mean that millions of people around the world could suffer from problems with smell and taste for at least six months after being infected with Covid. Losing or changing smell or taste can cause people “severe distress”, academics said, as they urged health systems to be prepared to support people who often feel “isolated” when dismissed by clinicians. The Independent recently reported on the case of flight attendant Catherine Francis, who was forced to quit her job because her long-term Covid symptoms were so severe. The 29-year-old, from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, contracted Covid in October 2020 and left her job in March 2022. She still struggles with severe breathing problems, a chronic cough and muscle weakness, among other symptoms, 22 months after her initial infection. The latest figures show that Covid-19 infections in the UK have increased by around 7%, with the continued rise still driven by Omicron’s newer BA.4 and BA.5 variants. Hospital numbers also continue to rise, with early signs of an increase in intensive care admissions in older age groups. A total of 3.8 million people in private households are estimated to have had coronavirus in the week to July 14, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Last week there were around 3.3 million cases across the UK. This is the highest estimate for total infections since late April, but is still well below the record high of 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave in late March. Additional reporting from the Press Association
