Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Defining Long Covid: Study Reveals Prevalence And 12 Key Symptoms
The Washington Post: Long Covid Has 12 Key Symptoms, New Study Finds
More than 200 lingering symptoms have been reported in patients who suffer ongoing health problems after a covid infection. Now a new study has identified 12 key symptoms that best define the debilitating condition known as long covid. The findings, published Thursday in JAMA, are based on 9,764 participants in a study called the RECOVER initiative, which stands for researching covid to enhance recovery, a four-year, $1.15 billion study of long covid funded by the National Institutes of Health. (Morris, 5/25)
USA Today: Long COVID Symptoms Finally Identified: What This Means For Treatment
Although the process seems slow − this study was started more than a year ago − it is essential to precisely define long COVID before researchers can pursue treatments, said Andrea Foulkes, the study's other lead author. If they don't have a way to distinguish people with long COVID from those without, they won't be able to tell if a treatment is making a difference. (Weintraub, 5/25)
AP: US Study Finds 1 In 10 Get Long COVID After Omicron, Starts Identifying Key Symptoms
About 10% of people appear to suffer long COVID after an omicron infection, a lower estimate than earlier in the pandemic, according to a study of nearly 10,000 Americans that aims to help unravel the mysterious condition. Early findings from the National Institutes of Health’s study highlight a dozen symptoms that most distinguish long COVID, the catchall term for the sometimes debilitating health problems that can last for months or years after even a mild case of COVID-19. (Neergaard, 5/26)
Also —
CIDRAP: Risk Of New Post-COVID Mental Disorders Higher Only In Older Patients, Study Suggests
A study including all Danish adults published yesterday in JAMA Psychiatry suggests an increased risk of new-onset mental illness only in SARS-CoV-2–positive patients aged 70 and older. It also finds that worsened mental health after COVID-19 hospitalization is common but no more so than after other, similarly severe respiratory infections. (Van Beusekom, 5/25)
