A recent study in Harvard has associated phases of anxiety, depression, and loneliness with the risk of suffering from Long Covid. The study has revealed that a person going through phases of anxiety, depression, and loneliness before being infected by coronavirus has a much stronger chance of developing Long Covid.
The finding of the study conducted by researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. The study states that pre-infection psychological distress was associated with the risk of post Covid-19 conditions like Long Covid.
Notably, the study says, the susceptibility of people with psychological distress to Long 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 the SARS-CoV-2, which causes coronavirus infection in the body. According to the US-based Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it includes a wide range of ongoing health problems, which can last for days, weeks, and even months after one is diagnosed Covid negative.
What are the symptoms of long Covid?
Fatigue, shortness of breath, problems in memory, loss of concentration, sleep issues, persistent cough, chest pain, trouble in speaking, muscle aches, loss of smell and taste, onset of depression and anxiety are some of the most reported symptoms of the long Covid.
The study
The study was conducted among 54,000 people in April 2020, who were asked about their psychological distresses at the beginning of the research. Over the next year, 3000 participants became Covid positive and were then asked about symptoms and symptom duration.
How does mental health make one susceptible to Long Covid?
Analysis of the data revealed that mental distress before Covid-19 infection, including depression, anxiety, worry, perceived stress, and loneliness, was associated with a 32-46 per cent increased risk of long Covid. Mental well-being in the past has been associated with other diseases as well. 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 of long Covid-19. These results also reinforce the need to increase public awareness of the importance of mental health and to get mental health care for people who need it," Andrea Roberts, senior research scientist and senior author of the JAMA Psychiatry paper, said in a statement.
Females are more prone to Long Covid than men
Basis a recent report, WHO recently said women are the worst sufferers of long Covid than men.
WHO report said, "The modelling also suggests that females are twice as likely as males to experience long Covid. Furthermore, the risk increases dramatically among severe Covid-19 cases needing hospitalization, with one in three females and one in five males likely to develop long Covid."
