Young people suffer more from Long Covid than the old: Study finds

In surprising findings of a new study, it has emerged that when it comes to long Covid, younger adults may suffer from more severe and lingering symptoms compared to older people. While this may seem unbelievable a new research published in Annals of Neurology, led by Dr. Igor Koralnik of Northwestern Medicine shows that

neurological symptoms of long Covid

was more pronounced in people under 65, compared to those above this agegroup.
Long Covid is defined as a chronic condition that occurs after the infection and is present for at least 3 months. Long Covid includes a wide range of symptoms or conditions that may improve, worsen, or be ongoing.
The wide range of symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, fever, headaches, sleep disturbances, and ‘brain fog’ or cognitive impairment. Recent studies have discussed Covid’s connection with lower IQ, poor memory and brain ageing.

Researchers involved 1300 patients in the study and tracked the outcome of 200 patients who suffered from severe symptoms for an average of 10 months after the onset of their initial Covid infection.
They found that the neurological symptoms of people with long Covid tended were more pronounced in case of people below 65, compared to those above the age group.

An array of neurological symptoms often occurred, regardless of how severe the patient’s initial case of Covid-19 had been, the Chicago team added.

“The impact of Long COVID is causing disproportionate morbidity [illness] and disability in younger adults in their prime who provide much of the workforce, productivity and innovation in our society,” said Dr. Igor Koralnik.
According to the researchers, neurological symptoms of long Covid can include headache, numbness and tingling, problems with smell and taste, blurred vision, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue and a decrease in cognitive function.

“While deaths from Covid-19 continue to decrease, people still get repetitive infections with the virus and may develop Long Covid along the way,” said Koralnik, who is also chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine.
“This study highlights the importance that people of all ages suffering from Long COVID should be provided with the necessary treatment and rehabilitation services to alleviate their symptoms and improve their quality of life,” Koralnik said in a Northwestern news release.