"Long COVID" symptoms affect 1 in 4 seniors after infection, study finds

"Long COVID" symptoms affect 1 in 4 seniors after infection, study finds Respiratory symptoms and musculoskeletal pain were the most common lingering health issues reported. YahooNews

As many as one in four seniors and one in five adults under 65 experienced "long COVID" or "post-COVID" symptoms after surviving a coronavirus infection, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Tuesday.

The study — published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report — is the latest to try and quantify how many of the millions of Americans who have now tested positive for the virus are facing long-term issues caused by their infection.

By comparing electronic health records in a large national database of patients, the study's authors found 38.2% of COVID-19 survivors "experienced at least one incident condition" — a list that includes heart, lung, kidney and gastrointestinal problems, pain, fatigue, loss of smell or taste, mental health issues, and more —  in the months after their infection. By contrast, just 16% of other people were diagnosed with such conditions.

"As the cumulative number of persons ever having been infected with SARS-CoV-2 increases, the number of survivors suffering post-COVID conditions is also likely to increase," the study's authors wrote. 

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