In the field of medicine, viruses are known for striving to develop and generate new lineages or sub-lineages in order to circumvent acquired immunity. Several studies claim that the protection gained against previous Covid variants is ineffective against the new ones.

People who have been infected with the initial version of the coronavirus Omicron, which was first found in South Africa in November, may be prone to reinfection with subsequent strains of Omicron, according to new studies.

Vaccinated patients with Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infections developed antibodies that could neutralise that virus as well as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, but the circulating Omicron sublineages now have mutations that allow them to evade those antibodies, according to Chinese researchers who published their findings in Nature on Friday.

Omicron BA.2.12.1, which is currently producing the majority of infections in the United States, as well as Omicron BA.5 and BA.4, which now account for more than 21% of new cases in the United States, have mutations not found in Omicron BA.1 and BA.2.

In test-tube investigations, the researchers discovered that the newer sublineages "significantly elude the neutralising antibodies produced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunisation."

Experiments also demonstrated that the monoclonal antibody medications bebtelovimab from Eli Lilly and cilgavimab, a component of AstraZeneca's Evusheld, can still efficiently neutralise BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/BA.5.

The researchers cautioned that vaccination boosters based on the BA.1 virus, such as those being developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, "may not deliver broad-spectrum protection against new Omicron variants."

Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a microbiology and infectious diseases researcher at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, suggested that vaccines that target multiple strains of the virus or intranasal vaccines that increase protection from infection and transmission by generating immunity in the lining of the nose, where the virus first enters, could provide better protection.

Garcia-Sastre, who was not involved in the study, believes that by the time one variant-specific vaccination is available, a new variant may have supplanted it. 
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In the field of medicine, viruses are known for striving to develop and generate new lineages or sub-lineages in order to circumvent acquired immunity. Several studies claim that the protection gained against previous Covid variants is ineffective against the new ones.

In the field of medicine, viruses are known for striving to develop and generate new lineages or sub-lineages in order to circumvent acquired immunity. Several studies claim that the protection gained against previous Covid variants is ineffective against the new ones. People who have been infected with the initial version of the coronavirus Omicron, which was first found in South Africa in November, may be prone to reinfection with subsequent strains of Omicron, according to new studies. Vaccinated patients with Omicron BA.1 breakthrough infections developed antibodies that could neutralise that virus as well as the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, but the circulating Omicron sublineages now have mutations that allow them to evade those antibodies, according to Chinese researchers who published their findings in Nature on Friday. Omicron BA.2.12.1, which is currently producing the majority of infections in the United States, as well as Omicron BA.5 and BA.4, which now account for more than 21% of new cases in the United States, have mutations not found in Omicron BA.1 and BA.2. In test-tube investigations, the researchers discovered that the newer sublineages "significantly elude the neutralising antibodies produced by SARS-CoV-2 infection and immunisation." Experiments also demonstrated that the monoclonal antibody medications bebtelovimab from Eli Lilly and cilgavimab, a component of AstraZeneca's Evusheld, can still efficiently neutralise BA.2.12.1 and BA.4/BA.5. The researchers cautioned that vaccination boosters based on the BA.1 virus, such as those being developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna, "may not deliver broad-spectrum protection against new Omicron variants." Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, a microbiology and infectious diseases researcher at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine, suggested that vaccines that target multiple strains of the virus or intranasal vaccines that increase protection from infection and transmission by generating immunity in the lining of the nose, where the virus first enters, could provide better protection. Garcia-Sastre, who was not involved in the study, believes that by the time one variant-specific vaccination is available, a new variant may have supplanted it. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Current variants unlikely to be protected by early Omicron infection

In the first peer-reviewed study of its kind, researchers from the United Kingdom have drawn a conclusion that Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long COVID than previous variants. Researchers from King's College, London have carried out this study.&nbsp;

For the study, researchers used data from the ZOE COVID symptom study app. They found that odds of long COVID from Omicron were 20 to 50 per cent less than Delta. There was a variance in the figure depending to age and timing of last vaccination of a patient.

Long COVID, which includes prolonged symptoms ranging from fatigue to 'brain fog', can be debilitating and continue for weeks or months. It is increasingly being recognised as a public health problem, and researchers have been racing to find out if Omicron presents as big a risk of long COVID as previously dominant variants.

Although risk of long COVID was lower during Omicron infection, the absolute number of those suffering was high due to high transmission rate of Omicron variant

"It's good news, but please don't decommission any of your long COVID services," lead researcher Dr Claire Steves told Reuters, appealing to health-service providers.

The UK's Office for National Statistics said in May that 438,000 people in the country have long COVID after Omicron infection, representing 24% of all long COVID patients.

It also said the risk of lingering symptoms after Omicron was lower than with Delta, but only for double-vaccinated people. It found no statistical difference for those who were triple vaccinated.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In the first peer-reviewed study of its kind, researchers from the United Kingdom have drawn a conclusion that Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long COVID than previous variants.

In the first peer-reviewed study of its kind, researchers from the United Kingdom have drawn a conclusion that Omicron variant of coronavirus is less likely to cause long COVID than previous variants. Researchers from King's College, London have carried out this study. For the study, researchers used data from the ZOE COVID symptom study app. They found that odds of long COVID from Omicron were 20 to 50 per cent less than Delta. There was a variance in the figure depending to age and timing of last vaccination of a patient. Long COVID, which includes prolonged symptoms ranging from fatigue to 'brain fog', can be debilitating and continue for weeks or months. It is increasingly being recognised as a public health problem, and researchers have been racing to find out if Omicron presents as big a risk of long COVID as previously dominant variants. Although risk of long COVID was lower during Omicron infection, the absolute number of those suffering was high due to high transmission rate of Omicron variant "It's good news, but please don't decommission any of your long COVID services," lead researcher Dr Claire Steves told Reuters, appealing to health-service providers. The UK's Office for National Statistics said in May that 438,000 people in the country have long COVID after Omicron infection, representing 24% of all long COVID patients. It also said the risk of lingering symptoms after Omicron was lower than with Delta, but only for double-vaccinated people. It found no statistical difference for those who were triple vaccinated. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Omicron less likely to cause long COVID than Delta: Study

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is scurrying through death certificates across the country to analyse death cases that might be linked to long Covid. So far, it has detected more than 100 such cases, POLITICO has reported quoting officials familiar with the matter.

It is yet to be determined whether the people who died had any prior health issues, whether long Covid was the cause of their deaths or whether it was a contributing factor.

Long Covid is the term used to describe an array of symptoms that can last for months or longer after the initial&nbsp;coronavirus&nbsp;infection.

Several post-Covid health problems have been detected in different organ systems, including the heart, lungs and kidneys. Other issues involved blood circulation, the musculoskeletal system and the endocrine system; gastrointestinal conditions, neurological problems and psychiatric symptoms were also identified in the study.

According to POLITICO, the National Center for Health Statistics, a division within the CDC, has been collecting death certificates from states between 2020 and 2021.

The latest move by the CDC comes after they found in their study that one in 5 adult coronavirus survivors under age 65 in the US has experienced at least one health condition that could be attributed to long Covid.

The study found that Covid patients had twice the risk of uninfected people developing respiratory symptoms and lung problems, including pulmonary embolism.

Post-Covid patients ages 65 and older were at greater risk than the younger group of developing kidney failure, neurological conditions and most mental health conditions.

Since October 2021, after CDC approval, hospitals and medical facilities in the US have been tracking patients displaying long Covid symptoms with a specific identification known as an ICD-10 code.

That coding system, used for most reportable illnesses, has helped researchers narrow down which group of people to study.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is scurrying through death certificates across the country to analyse death cases that might be linked to long Covid.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is scurrying through death certificates across the country to analyse death cases that might be linked to long Covid. So far, it has detected more than 100 such cases, POLITICO has reported quoting officials familiar with the matter. It is yet to be determined whether the people who died had any prior health issues, whether long Covid was the cause of their deaths or whether it was a contributing factor. Long Covid is the term used to describe an array of symptoms that can last for months or longer after the initial coronavirus infection. Several post-Covid health problems have been detected in different organ systems, including the heart, lungs and kidneys. Other issues involved blood circulation, the musculoskeletal system and the endocrine system; gastrointestinal conditions, neurological problems and psychiatric symptoms were also identified in the study. According to POLITICO, the National Center for Health Statistics, a division within the CDC, has been collecting death certificates from states between 2020 and 2021. The latest move by the CDC comes after they found in their study that one in 5 adult coronavirus survivors under age 65 in the US has experienced at least one health condition that could be attributed to long Covid. The study found that Covid patients had twice the risk of uninfected people developing respiratory symptoms and lung problems, including pulmonary embolism. Post-Covid patients ages 65 and older were at greater risk than the younger group of developing kidney failure, neurological conditions and most mental health conditions. Since October 2021, after CDC approval, hospitals and medical facilities in the US have been tracking patients displaying long Covid symptoms with a specific identification known as an ICD-10 code. That coding system, used for most reportable illnesses, has helped researchers narrow down which group of people to study. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

US govt analysing deaths attributed to long Covid: Report

A new study conducted by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics has said that the risk of long COVID-19 is worse after getting infected with Delta variant in comparison to the Omicron variant.

The report shows that people who got infected by the Omicron variant were 50 per cent lower than the Delta variant in the case of those who got inoculated with two doses.

But those who took three doses during their vaccination, had higher odds of getting infected with Omicron's BA.2 variant than the BA.1 variant.

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Last month, approximately 1.8 million people had reported lingering symptoms after contracting coronavirus.

The longest-known Covid-19 infection was documented in a patient who tested positive for a total of 505 days before their death as per British researchers.

One of the study's co-authors, consultant virologist Gaia Nebbia, said ''Regular sampling and genetic analysis of the virus showed that five of the nine patients developed at least one mutation seen in variants of concern.''

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/omicron-skin-lips-and-nail-symptoms-that-mean-you-need-urgent-covid-19-treatment-442234">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron: Skin, lips, and nail symptoms that mean you need urgent COVID-19 treatment</a>

The British people who had tested coronavirus positive reported fatigue, shortness of breath, and difficulty in concentrating which adversely affected their day-to-day activities.

Meanwhile, British drugmaker AstraZeneca's &nbsp;chief executive Pascal Soriot said at a conference, "In many countries, we are moving into what you can call a 'normal phase' where we have to learn with this disease, managing it with vaccination and treatment when needed."

(With inputs from agencies)

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A new study conducted by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics has said that the risk of long COVID-19 is worse after getting infected with Delta variant in comparison to the Omicron variant.

A new study conducted by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics has said that the risk of long COVID-19 is worse after getting infected with Delta variant in comparison to the Omicron variant. The report shows that people who got infected by the Omicron variant were 50 per cent lower than the Delta variant in the case of those who got inoculated with two doses. But those who took three doses during their vaccination, had higher odds of getting infected with Omicron's BA.2 variant than the BA.1 variant. Last month, approximately 1.8 million people had reported lingering symptoms after contracting coronavirus. The longest-known Covid-19 infection was documented in a patient who tested positive for a total of 505 days before their death as per British researchers. One of the study's co-authors, consultant virologist Gaia Nebbia, said ''Regular sampling and genetic analysis of the virus showed that five of the nine patients developed at least one mutation seen in variants of concern.'' Also read | Omicron: Skin, lips, and nail symptoms that mean you need urgent COVID-19 treatment The British people who had tested coronavirus positive reported fatigue, shortness of breath, and difficulty in concentrating which adversely affected their day-to-day activities. Meanwhile, British drugmaker AstraZeneca's chief executive Pascal Soriot said at a conference, "In many countries, we are moving into what you can call a 'normal phase' where we have to learn with this disease, managing it with vaccination and treatment when needed." (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION's live TV here: Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

Study shows risk of long COVID-19 is worse after getting infected with Delta variant than Omicron

A former employee of Amazon.com Inc filed a lawsuit against the online retailer on May 2 for wrongfully firing her from her job. The company asked 29-year-old Brittany Hope to repay $12,273 after she contracted "long Covid". According to Amazon, she had violated federal, state and New York City disability laws.&nbsp;

The Brooklyn resident, who worked at Amazon’s fashion line The Drop as a brand manager in the Manhattan branch, said she was diagnosed with flu and was later hospitalised in February 2020. This was four months after being hired for the position. She added, it was also weeks before COVID-19 cases began to surface in the United States.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-hong-kong-plummeted-68-places-in-the-recent-press-freedom-rankings-476076">Why Hong Kong plummeted 68 places in the recent press freedom rankings</a>

Hope said she realised later that she had been "seriously ill with Covid and long&nbsp;Covid."

The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court does not mention Hope’s Covid diagnosis but has a note of her filing a complaint in the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.&nbsp;

The 29-year-old highlights how prolonged work hours and COVID-19 had taken a toll on her health. In May 2020, she was requesting for medical leave when Amazon disabled her access to her official mail and leave portal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/my-money-is-in-his-hands-netizens-not-impressed-as-elon-musk-attends-met-gala-with-mother-476097">'My money is in his hands': Netizens not impressed as Musk attends Met Gala</a>

Two months later, she was fired on for "job abandonment" and the company asked her to up $12,273 for alleged overpayment of wages.&nbsp;

Woes of Amazon workers that have surfaced in the past: &nbsp;

Amazon labourers and their working conditions have been in news for all the wrong reasons. Recently, a truck driver told a news agency that he finds urine in bags in his van quite often. It is due to heavy workload that workers are unable to take restroom breaks and are forced to urinate in bags.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Peeing in bags and bottles is no news as this has been the way Amazon workers are reaching deadlines and completing deliveries on time. Disregard for health has been a complain among the people working for the logistics branch of the company.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Indian PM Modi meets his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen

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(With agency inputs)&nbsp;

A former employee of Amazon.com Inc filed a lawsuit against the online retailer on May 2 for wrongfully firing her from her job. The company asked 29-year-old Brittany Hope to repay $12,273 after she contracted "long Covid".

A former employee of Amazon.com Inc filed a lawsuit against the online retailer on May 2 for wrongfully firing her from her job. The company asked 29-year-old Brittany Hope to repay $12,273 after she contracted "long Covid". According to Amazon, she had violated federal, state and New York City disability laws. The Brooklyn resident, who worked at Amazon’s fashion line The Drop as a brand manager in the Manhattan branch, said she was diagnosed with flu and was later hospitalised in February 2020. This was four months after being hired for the position. She added, it was also weeks before COVID-19 cases began to surface in the United States. Also read | Why Hong Kong plummeted 68 places in the recent press freedom rankings Hope said she realised later that she had been "seriously ill with Covid and long Covid." The complaint filed in Manhattan federal court does not mention Hope’s Covid diagnosis but has a note of her filing a complaint in the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The 29-year-old highlights how prolonged work hours and COVID-19 had taken a toll on her health. In May 2020, she was requesting for medical leave when Amazon disabled her access to her official mail and leave portal. Also read | 'My money is in his hands': Netizens not impressed as Musk attends Met Gala Two months later, she was fired on for "job abandonment" and the company asked her to up $12,273 for alleged overpayment of wages. Woes of Amazon workers that have surfaced in the past: Amazon labourers and their working conditions have been in news for all the wrong reasons. Recently, a truck driver told a news agency that he finds urine in bags in his van quite often. It is due to heavy workload that workers are unable to take restroom breaks and are forced to urinate in bags. Peeing in bags and bottles is no news as this has been the way Amazon workers are reaching deadlines and completing deliveries on time. Disregard for health has been a complain among the people working for the logistics branch of the company. WATCH | Indian PM Modi meets his Danish counterpart Mette Frederiksen (With agency inputs)

Employee sues Amazon after being fired for contracting 'long Covid' and asked to repay $12,273

The unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) impacted the lives of people across the world. The deadly virus left millions dead and others grieving. People also suffered from long Covid that led to a range of ill impacts on the health of people people.

The pandemic disrupted the lives of people who use drugs in ways that hurt their mental health. According to a study, Covid changed behaviours of drug use, increasing the risk for overdose.&nbsp;

The US study 'Trends in Drug Overdose Deaths Among US Adolescents, January 2010 to June 2021', published this month in JAMA Network analysed drug use.&nbsp;

It noted that the drug supply has increasingly become "contaminated with illicitly manufactured fentanyls and other synthetic opioid and benzodiazepine analogues".&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-pandemic-increased-antibiotic-resistant-bacterial-infections-study-473991">Covid pandemic increased antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections: Study</a>

"Adolescent drug use rates remained generally stable between 2010 and 2020, with 30.2% and 30.4%, respectively, of 10th-graders reporting any illicit drug use in the past 12 months, which declined to 18.7% of 10th-graders in 2021," the study noted, referring US-based data.&nbsp;

Drug overdoses have soared during the Covid-19 pandemic, with US overdose deaths topping 100,000 during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, India-based news agency IANS reported, quoting a study published in the journal Addiction Science and Clinical Practice.&nbsp;

As per researchers, the pandemic and strategies for preventing the spread of the virus, such as stay-at-home orders, may have contributed to this increase in deaths.&nbsp;

"We know that there has been a tragic increase in overdose deaths during the pandemic. Our study provides insight into why and how there have been more overdose deaths," said Suzan Walters, research assistant professor at New York University's School of Global Public Health.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/dangerous-superbugs-may-get-transmitted-from-pigs-to-humans-say-scientists-473502">Dangerous superbugs may get transmitted from pigs to humans, say scientists </a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;If you are unvaccinated for COVID, you are a threat to those who're jabbed

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The study mentioned that people who use drugs and live in rural areas may be impacted by changes brought on during the pandemic. The reason is many rural areas have higher rates of opioid and methamphetamine use.&nbsp;

Between August 2020 and May 2021, the researchers conducted surveys with 50 individuals who use opioids (without a prescription) or inject drugs, and did in-depth interviews with a subset of 17 participants.&nbsp;

Only 38 per cent of participants felt confident that they could maintain a stable income during the pandemic. Three-quarters of the survey respondents felt more anxious or on edge during the pandemic. More than half felt more depressed and nearly half felt lonelier.&nbsp;

Such issues lead to anxiety and depression, which is associated with increased substance use, which in turn can increase the risk for overdose.&nbsp;

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(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) impacted the lives of people across the world. The deadly virus left millions dead and others grieving. People also suffered from long Covid that led to a range of ill impacts on the health of people people.

The unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) impacted the lives of people across the world. The deadly virus left millions dead and others grieving. People also suffered from long Covid that led to a range of ill impacts on the health of people people. The pandemic disrupted the lives of people who use drugs in ways that hurt their mental health. According to a study, Covid changed behaviours of drug use, increasing the risk for overdose. The US study 'Trends in Drug Overdose Deaths Among US Adolescents, January 2010 to June 2021', published this month in JAMA Network analysed drug use. It noted that the drug supply has increasingly become "contaminated with illicitly manufactured fentanyls and other synthetic opioid and benzodiazepine analogues". ALSO READ | Covid pandemic increased antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections: Study "Adolescent drug use rates remained generally stable between 2010 and 2020, with 30.2% and 30.4%, respectively, of 10th-graders reporting any illicit drug use in the past 12 months, which declined to 18.7% of 10th-graders in 2021," the study noted, referring US-based data. Drug overdoses have soared during the Covid-19 pandemic, with US overdose deaths topping 100,000 during the 12-month period ending in April 2021, India-based news agency IANS reported, quoting a study published in the journal Addiction Science and Clinical Practice. As per researchers, the pandemic and strategies for preventing the spread of the virus, such as stay-at-home orders, may have contributed to this increase in deaths. "We know that there has been a tragic increase in overdose deaths during the pandemic. Our study provides insight into why and how there have been more overdose deaths," said Suzan Walters, research assistant professor at New York University's School of Global Public Health. ALSO READ | Dangerous superbugs may get transmitted from pigs to humans, say scientists WATCH | If you are unvaccinated for COVID, you are a threat to those who're jabbed × The study mentioned that people who use drugs and live in rural areas may be impacted by changes brought on during the pandemic. The reason is many rural areas have higher rates of opioid and methamphetamine use. Between August 2020 and May 2021, the researchers conducted surveys with 50 individuals who use opioids (without a prescription) or inject drugs, and did in-depth interviews with a subset of 17 participants. Only 38 per cent of participants felt confident that they could maintain a stable income during the pandemic. Three-quarters of the survey respondents felt more anxious or on edge during the pandemic. More than half felt more depressed and nearly half felt lonelier. Such issues lead to anxiety and depression, which is associated with increased substance use, which in turn can increase the risk for overdose. WATCH WION LIVE HERE × (With inputs from agencies)

How coronavirus pandemic contributed to the risk of drug overdose

Scientists have been baffled by Long Covid, a term used to describe illnesses ranging from neurological to digestive, heart, and lung issues.&nbsp;

A new study suggests that some long-term symptoms of Covid may be caused by the virus damaging a vital nerve.&nbsp;

Long Covid is an informally used term that refers to symptoms that continue beyond four weeks following infection with the Covid virus, according to the ONS. &nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-find-new-coronaviruses-in-bats-in-laos-453919" hreflang="en">Scientists find new coronaviruses in bats in Laos</a>

The National Health Service recommends a number of treatments to help ease the symptoms of this condition, but as of yet there is no cure.

Scientists think that inflammation of the vagus nerve might be a contributing factor to some of the unrelated symptoms that can plague survivors months after their illness has ended.&nbsp;

The Vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It connects vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, and intestines, as well as the muscles used to swallow. It has been referred to as the 'motorway' of the nervous system.

In Spain, scientists tested 350 long Covid patients and quizzed them on their symptoms to see whether the nerve factors into their health problems.&nbsp;

Based on their preliminary analysis of 20 patients, they found that symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues and elevated heart rates were associated with vagus nerve damage.

According to the researchers, structural changes to the vagus nerve are the 'central' feature of long-term Covid. Their findings have not been published or peer-reviewed.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explainer-what-is-obstructive-sleep-apnoea-the-disease-that-caused-bappi-lahiris-death-453932" hreflang="en">Explainer: What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, the disease that caused Bappi Lahiri's death?</a>

Long-term Covid has also been shown to cause damage to the blood vessels. There are around 1.3million Britons with long Covid-like symptoms that last for at least four weeks after infection, according to official estimates.&nbsp;

Since it is hard to define the condition and figures are based on self-reported symptoms, it is difficult to know how many people are affected.

The most common ongoing symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell or taste.

Doctors at University Hospital Germans in Badalona recruited 348 patients to study the vagus nerve - about 3mm in diameter - in long Covid.

The majority of the group showed symptoms similar to those of those who had damaged the nerve, which is usually caused by surgery, physical injury, or tumour.&nbsp;

Further tests of 22 patients revealed that roughly a quarter of them had thickened or inflamed vagus nerves.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Recovered from Covid, but still suffering? All about long covid

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Diarrhoea, an elevated heart rate, dizziness and dizziness were common symptoms related to vagus nerve dysfunction.&nbsp;

The results of the study, led by Dr Gemma Lladós and Dr Lourdes Mateu, suggest that most patients with symptoms of vagus nerve damage had changes in the structure or function of the nerve.&nbsp;According to the authors, their findings so far suggest vagus nerve dysfunction as a central cause of long Covid.

The researchers presented their findings at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.&nbsp;

Scientists have been baffled by Long Covid, a term used to describe illnesses ranging from neurological to digestive, heart, and lung issues. A new study suggests that some long-term symptoms of Covid may be caused by the virus damaging a vital nerve.

Scientists have been baffled by Long Covid, a term used to describe illnesses ranging from neurological to digestive, heart, and lung issues. A new study suggests that some long-term symptoms of Covid may be caused by the virus damaging a vital nerve. Long Covid is an informally used term that refers to symptoms that continue beyond four weeks following infection with the Covid virus, according to the ONS. Also read | Scientists find new coronaviruses in bats in Laos The National Health Service recommends a number of treatments to help ease the symptoms of this condition, but as of yet there is no cure. Scientists think that inflammation of the vagus nerve might be a contributing factor to some of the unrelated symptoms that can plague survivors months after their illness has ended. The Vagus nerve is the longest nerve in the body. It connects vital organs such as the brain, heart, lungs, and intestines, as well as the muscles used to swallow. It has been referred to as the 'motorway' of the nervous system. In Spain, scientists tested 350 long Covid patients and quizzed them on their symptoms to see whether the nerve factors into their health problems. Based on their preliminary analysis of 20 patients, they found that symptoms such as gastrointestinal issues and elevated heart rates were associated with vagus nerve damage. According to the researchers, structural changes to the vagus nerve are the 'central' feature of long-term Covid. Their findings have not been published or peer-reviewed. Also read | Explainer: What is Obstructive Sleep Apnoea, the disease that caused Bappi Lahiri's death? Long-term Covid has also been shown to cause damage to the blood vessels. There are around 1.3million Britons with long Covid-like symptoms that last for at least four weeks after infection, according to official estimates. Since it is hard to define the condition and figures are based on self-reported symptoms, it is difficult to know how many people are affected. The most common ongoing symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell or taste. Doctors at University Hospital Germans in Badalona recruited 348 patients to study the vagus nerve - about 3mm in diameter - in long Covid. The majority of the group showed symptoms similar to those of those who had damaged the nerve, which is usually caused by surgery, physical injury, or tumour. Further tests of 22 patients revealed that roughly a quarter of them had thickened or inflamed vagus nerves. Watch | Gravitas: Recovered from Covid, but still suffering? All about long covid Diarrhoea, an elevated heart rate, dizziness and dizziness were common symptoms related to vagus nerve dysfunction. The results of the study, led by Dr Gemma Lladós and Dr Lourdes Mateu, suggest that most patients with symptoms of vagus nerve damage had changes in the structure or function of the nerve. According to the authors, their findings so far suggest vagus nerve dysfunction as a central cause of long Covid. The researchers presented their findings at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.

Do you have long Covid? Scientists propose that this nerve may be behind it

There are chances that people who have suffered through long Covid may have hidden lung damage, a UK-based study suggests. Supported by the &nbsp;Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, the study included 36 patients. It further explains why some people experience breathlessness even after their initial infection.

It has been concluded that there is massively affected gas transfer from the lungs to the bloodstream for long Covid patients.

Tests like CT scans are unable to detect this and they show normal results.&nbsp;

Dr Emily Fraser, a consultant at Oxford University Hospital, also a co-author of the study, in a report by The Guardian said, "It is the first study to demonstrate lung abnormalities in [people with long Covid] who are breathless and where other investigations are unremarkable."

She further added, "It does suggest the virus is causing some kind of persistent abnormality within the microstructure of the lungs or in the pulmonary vasculature.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/mystery-of-long-covid-19-is-solved-this-scientist-believes-so-442748">Also read |&nbsp;'Mystery of long COVID-19 is solved! This scientist believes so</a>

As per clinical senior lecturer, Claire Steves, the study would be of significant interest to people going through long-term breathlessness after Covid.

As per an op-ed, which was recently published, Resia Pretorius, the head of the science department at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, wrote, "A recent investigation in my lab found that there is significant microclot formation in the blood of both acute Covid and long Covid patients."&nbsp;

She discovered a correlation between microclots and lengthy Covid, which she believes is a critical step toward better understanding the disease that affects 100 million people worldwide.

Resia Pretorius and her team discovered large quantities of inflammatory chemicals "locked" in the persistent micro clots seen in extended Covid patients during the summer.

(With inputs from agencies)

There are chances that people who have suffered through long Covid may have hidden lung damage, a UK-based study suggests. Supported by the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, the study included 36 patients.

There are chances that people who have suffered through long Covid may have hidden lung damage, a UK-based study suggests. Supported by the Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, the study included 36 patients. It further explains why some people experience breathlessness even after their initial infection. It has been concluded that there is massively affected gas transfer from the lungs to the bloodstream for long Covid patients. Tests like CT scans are unable to detect this and they show normal results. Dr Emily Fraser, a consultant at Oxford University Hospital, also a co-author of the study, in a report by The Guardian said, "It is the first study to demonstrate lung abnormalities in [people with long Covid] who are breathless and where other investigations are unremarkable." She further added, "It does suggest the virus is causing some kind of persistent abnormality within the microstructure of the lungs or in the pulmonary vasculature.” Also read | 'Mystery of long COVID-19 is solved! This scientist believes so As per clinical senior lecturer, Claire Steves, the study would be of significant interest to people going through long-term breathlessness after Covid. As per an op-ed, which was recently published, Resia Pretorius, the head of the science department at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, wrote, "A recent investigation in my lab found that there is significant microclot formation in the blood of both acute Covid and long Covid patients." She discovered a correlation between microclots and lengthy Covid, which she believes is a critical step toward better understanding the disease that affects 100 million people worldwide. Resia Pretorius and her team discovered large quantities of inflammatory chemicals "locked" in the persistent micro clots seen in extended Covid patients during the summer. (With inputs from agencies)

Mystery of breathlessness after Covid is now solved, this is what a UK-based study says

It is one of many mysteries about long COVID: Who is more prone to developing it? Are some people more likely than others to experience physical, neurological or cognitive symptoms than can emerge, or linger for, months after their coronavirus infections have cleared?

Now, a team of researchers who followed more than 200 patients for two to three months after their COVID diagnoses report that they have identified biological factors that might help predict if a person will develop long COVID.

The study, published Tuesday by the journal Cell, found four factors that could be identified early in a person’s coronavirus infection that appeared to correlate with increased risk of having lasting symptoms weeks later.

The researchers said they had found that there was an association between these factors and long COVID (which goes by the medical name post acute sequelae of COVID-19, or PASC) whether the initial infection was serious or mild. They said that the findings might suggest ways to prevent or treat some cases of long COVID, including the possibility of giving people antiviral medications soon after an infection has been diagnosed.

“It’s the first real solid attempt to come up with some biologic mechanisms for long COVID,” said Dr. Steven Deeks, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study.

He and other experts, along with the study authors, cautioned that the findings were exploratory and would need to be verified by considerably more research.

Still, Deeks said, “They’ve identified these four major factors. Each is biologically plausible, consistent with theories that other people are pursuing, and importantly, each is actionable. If these pathways get confirmed, we as clinicians can actually design interventions to make people better. That is the take-home message.”

One of the four factors researchers identified is the level of coronavirus RNA in the blood early in the infection, an indicator of viral load. Another is the presence of certain autoantibodies — antibodies that mistakenly attack tissues in the body as they do in conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. A third factor is the reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus, a virus that infects most people, often when they are young, and then usually becomes dormant.

The final factor is having Type 2 diabetes, although the researchers and other experts said that in studies involving larger numbers of patients, it might turn out that diabetes is only one of several medical conditions that increase the risk of long COVID.

“I think this research stresses the importance of doing measurements early in the disease course to figure out how to treat patients, even if we don’t really know how we’re going to use all that information yet,” said Jim Heath, principal investigator of the study and president of the Institute for Systems Biology, a nonprofit biomedical research organization in Seattle.

“Once you can measure something, then you may be able to start doing something about it,” Heath said, adding: “We did this analysis because we know patients will go to physicians and they’ll say that they’re tired all the time or whatever, and the physician just tells them to get more sleep. That’s not very helpful. So, we wanted to actually have a way to quantify and say that there’s actually something wrong with these patients.”

The complex study had several components and involved dozens of researchers at several universities and centers including the Institute for Systems Biology, the University of Washington and Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, where the study’s lead medical author, Dr. Jason Goldman, is an infectious disease specialist.

The primary group of patients included 209 people, ages 18 to 89, who were infected with the coronavirus during 2020 or early 2021 and were seen at Swedish Medical Center or an affiliated clinic. Many were hospitalized for their initial infections, but some were seen only as outpatients. Researchers analyzed blood and nasal swabs when patients were diagnosed, during the acute phase of their infections and two to three months later.

They surveyed the patients about 20 symptoms associated with long COVID, including fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath, and corroborated those reports with electronic health records, Heath said.

He said 37% of the patients had reported three or more symptoms of long COVID two or three months after infection. A further 24% reported one or two symptoms, and 39% reported no symptoms. Of patients reporting three or more symptoms, 95% had one or more of the four biological factors identified in the study when they were diagnosed with COVID-19, Heath said.

The most influential factor appeared to be autoantibodies, which were associated with two-thirds of the cases of long COVID, Heath said. Each of the other three factors showed up in about a third of the cases, he said, and there was considerable overlap, with several factors identified in some patients.

The researchers corroborated some of their findings in a separate group of 100 patients, many with mild initial infections, from research led by Dr. Helen Chu at the University of Washington. The researchers also compared their results to data from 457 healthy people.

“The study is large and comprehensive and is a great resource for the community studying long COVID,” said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale, who was not involved in the research.

Dr. Avindra Nath, who is chief of the section on infections of the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and was not involved in the study, called the study well designed but pointed out several weaknesses, including the fact that patients had been followed for only two to three months. “This might be too short a time frame,” he said. “Some might just improve spontaneously with time.”

Iwasaki noted that 71% of the patients in the primary group had been hospitalized, limiting the ability to conclude that the biological factors were equally relevant for people with mild initial infections.

One persuasive conclusion, several experts said, was the suggestion that because patients with high viral loads early on often developed long COVID, giving people antivirals soon after diagnosis might help prevent long-term symptoms.

“The quicker one can eliminate the virus, the less likelihood of developing persistent virus or autoimmunity, which may drive long COVID,” Iwasaki said.

That some patients had reactivated Epstein-Barr virus also made sense, Nath said, because other diseases have reawakened that virus, and its reactivation has been linked to conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, which some cases of long COVID resemble, and multiple sclerosis. Deeks said it might be possible to give antivirals or immunotherapy to patients with reactivated Epstein-Barr virus.

There were other intriguing findings that experts said needed more substantiation. One was a suggestion that because people with lingering respiratory problems had low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, they might benefit from cortisol replacement therapy, which Heath said some doctors were already trying.

In another finding that he said might provide a way to document that patients’ neurological symptoms resulted from long COVID, the blood of people with lingering neurological issues contained elevated levels of proteins associated with disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycles.

One patient in the study’s primary group was John Gillotte, 40, a software engineer who contracted the coronavirus in March 2020. He was on a ventilator for about six days, after which he experienced delirium in the hospital when he closed his eyes.

“I saw the devil, who was like 50 feet tall, screaming at me, throwing limbs that he dismembered off of other people,” recalled Gillotte, who later had an image of the demon tattooed on his right arm, with depictions of hell below and heaven above to symbolize his progress from illness to recovery.

Gillotte, who moved from Seattle to Manhattan last year, said that for several months after his infection, he experienced muscle weakness, lack of stamina, brain fog that impaired his concentration at work, an altered sense of smell and the perception that most food tasted like ashes.

He said that before COVID, he had a spontaneous ability to visualize specific colors with certain foods — pink when he sprinkled pepper, blue with a type of liquor — but now, he is dismayed to have lost those automatic connections.

Gillotte said he doesn’t have diabetes and didn’t know if he had the other three factors because researchers said the study protocol prevented them from disclosing data about participants.

Heath, however, noted that Gillotte had been reinfected with the coronavirus in October 2020, which might reflect one theory that emerged from their study: that patients with higher levels of autoantibodies had lower levels of protective antibodies against the coronavirus, possibly making them more vulnerable to reinfection.

Deeks said lower protective antibody levels could also be a pathway leading to long-term symptoms. “If you don’t have a good antibody response, you don’t clear the virus; you have more virus around, and that leads to more long COVID,” he said.

Still, Heath said that overall, the research had showed that the four biological factors intersected and overlapped, suggesting that there might be relatively straightforward ways to forestall long COVID early on. Months later, “all these vague symptoms are so hard to track down, because you’ve sort of lost that information, but if you look back when those symptoms are first triggered, it actually looks like it’s manageable.”

It is one of many mysteries about long COVID: Who is more prone to developing it? Are some people more likely than others to experience physical, neurological or cognitive symptoms than can emerge, or linger for, months after their coronavirus infections have cleared?

It is one of many mysteries about long COVID: Who is more prone to developing it? Are some people more likely than others to experience physical, neurological or cognitive symptoms than can emerge, or linger for, months after their coronavirus infections have cleared? Now, a team of researchers who followed more than 200 patients for two to three months after their COVID diagnoses report that they have identified biological factors that might help predict if a person will develop long COVID. The study, published Tuesday by the journal Cell, found four factors that could be identified early in a person’s coronavirus infection that appeared to correlate with increased risk of having lasting symptoms weeks later. The researchers said they had found that there was an association between these factors and long COVID (which goes by the medical name post acute sequelae of COVID-19, or PASC) whether the initial infection was serious or mild. They said that the findings might suggest ways to prevent or treat some cases of long COVID, including the possibility of giving people antiviral medications soon after an infection has been diagnosed. “It’s the first real solid attempt to come up with some biologic mechanisms for long COVID,” said Dr. Steven Deeks, a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, who was not involved in the study. He and other experts, along with the study authors, cautioned that the findings were exploratory and would need to be verified by considerably more research. Still, Deeks said, “They’ve identified these four major factors. Each is biologically plausible, consistent with theories that other people are pursuing, and importantly, each is actionable. If these pathways get confirmed, we as clinicians can actually design interventions to make people better. That is the take-home message.” One of the four factors researchers identified is the level of coronavirus RNA in the blood early in the infection, an indicator of viral load. Another is the presence of certain autoantibodies — antibodies that mistakenly attack tissues in the body as they do in conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. A third factor is the reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus, a virus that infects most people, often when they are young, and then usually becomes dormant. The final factor is having Type 2 diabetes, although the researchers and other experts said that in studies involving larger numbers of patients, it might turn out that diabetes is only one of several medical conditions that increase the risk of long COVID. “I think this research stresses the importance of doing measurements early in the disease course to figure out how to treat patients, even if we don’t really know how we’re going to use all that information yet,” said Jim Heath, principal investigator of the study and president of the Institute for Systems Biology, a nonprofit biomedical research organization in Seattle. “Once you can measure something, then you may be able to start doing something about it,” Heath said, adding: “We did this analysis because we know patients will go to physicians and they’ll say that they’re tired all the time or whatever, and the physician just tells them to get more sleep. That’s not very helpful. So, we wanted to actually have a way to quantify and say that there’s actually something wrong with these patients.” The complex study had several components and involved dozens of researchers at several universities and centers including the Institute for Systems Biology, the University of Washington and Swedish Medical Center in Seattle, where the study’s lead medical author, Dr. Jason Goldman, is an infectious disease specialist. The primary group of patients included 209 people, ages 18 to 89, who were infected with the coronavirus during 2020 or early 2021 and were seen at Swedish Medical Center or an affiliated clinic. Many were hospitalized for their initial infections, but some were seen only as outpatients. Researchers analyzed blood and nasal swabs when patients were diagnosed, during the acute phase of their infections and two to three months later. They surveyed the patients about 20 symptoms associated with long COVID, including fatigue, brain fog and shortness of breath, and corroborated those reports with electronic health records, Heath said. He said 37% of the patients had reported three or more symptoms of long COVID two or three months after infection. A further 24% reported one or two symptoms, and 39% reported no symptoms. Of patients reporting three or more symptoms, 95% had one or more of the four biological factors identified in the study when they were diagnosed with COVID-19, Heath said. The most influential factor appeared to be autoantibodies, which were associated with two-thirds of the cases of long COVID, Heath said. Each of the other three factors showed up in about a third of the cases, he said, and there was considerable overlap, with several factors identified in some patients. The researchers corroborated some of their findings in a separate group of 100 patients, many with mild initial infections, from research led by Dr. Helen Chu at the University of Washington. The researchers also compared their results to data from 457 healthy people. “The study is large and comprehensive and is a great resource for the community studying long COVID,” said Akiko Iwasaki, an immunologist at Yale, who was not involved in the research. Dr. Avindra Nath, who is chief of the section on infections of the nervous system at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and was not involved in the study, called the study well designed but pointed out several weaknesses, including the fact that patients had been followed for only two to three months. “This might be too short a time frame,” he said. “Some might just improve spontaneously with time.” Iwasaki noted that 71% of the patients in the primary group had been hospitalized, limiting the ability to conclude that the biological factors were equally relevant for people with mild initial infections. One persuasive conclusion, several experts said, was the suggestion that because patients with high viral loads early on often developed long COVID, giving people antivirals soon after diagnosis might help prevent long-term symptoms. “The quicker one can eliminate the virus, the less likelihood of developing persistent virus or autoimmunity, which may drive long COVID,” Iwasaki said. That some patients had reactivated Epstein-Barr virus also made sense, Nath said, because other diseases have reawakened that virus, and its reactivation has been linked to conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome, which some cases of long COVID resemble, and multiple sclerosis. Deeks said it might be possible to give antivirals or immunotherapy to patients with reactivated Epstein-Barr virus. There were other intriguing findings that experts said needed more substantiation. One was a suggestion that because people with lingering respiratory problems had low levels of the stress hormone cortisol, they might benefit from cortisol replacement therapy, which Heath said some doctors were already trying. In another finding that he said might provide a way to document that patients’ neurological symptoms resulted from long COVID, the blood of people with lingering neurological issues contained elevated levels of proteins associated with disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycles. One patient in the study’s primary group was John Gillotte, 40, a software engineer who contracted the coronavirus in March 2020. He was on a ventilator for about six days, after which he experienced delirium in the hospital when he closed his eyes. “I saw the devil, who was like 50 feet tall, screaming at me, throwing limbs that he dismembered off of other people,” recalled Gillotte, who later had an image of the demon tattooed on his right arm, with depictions of hell below and heaven above to symbolize his progress from illness to recovery. Gillotte, who moved from Seattle to Manhattan last year, said that for several months after his infection, he experienced muscle weakness, lack of stamina, brain fog that impaired his concentration at work, an altered sense of smell and the perception that most food tasted like ashes. He said that before COVID, he had a spontaneous ability to visualize specific colors with certain foods — pink when he sprinkled pepper, blue with a type of liquor — but now, he is dismayed to have lost those automatic connections. Gillotte said he doesn’t have diabetes and didn’t know if he had the other three factors because researchers said the study protocol prevented them from disclosing data about participants. Heath, however, noted that Gillotte had been reinfected with the coronavirus in October 2020, which might reflect one theory that emerged from their study: that patients with higher levels of autoantibodies had lower levels of protective antibodies against the coronavirus, possibly making them more vulnerable to reinfection. Deeks said lower protective antibody levels could also be a pathway leading to long-term symptoms. “If you don’t have a good antibody response, you don’t clear the virus; you have more virus around, and that leads to more long COVID,” he said. Still, Heath said that overall, the research had showed that the four biological factors intersected and overlapped, suggesting that there might be relatively straightforward ways to forestall long COVID early on. Months later, “all these vague symptoms are so hard to track down, because you’ve sort of lost that information, but if you look back when those symptoms are first triggered, it actually looks like it’s manageable.”

New research hints at 4 factors that may increase chances of long COVID

Many COVID-19 patients have complained that the symptoms or the side effects of the virus sometimes persist for months - it can be a case of long Covid. Long Covid is described when signs and symptoms of the virus last for a few weeks or months after having a confirmed case of COVID-19.&nbsp;

Studies have found that the virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain and when it happens, the risk of long-term Covid-related health problems gets increased.&nbsp;

Brain fog, fatigue, chest pain, depression or anxiety are some of the side effects that many people, who were tested positive for Covid, claimed to have suffered for months.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/do-not-resuscitate-scientists-detect-brain-tsunamis-in-human-beings-440783">'Do not resuscitate': Scientists detect 'brain tsunamis' in human beings</a>

A <a href="https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1139035/v1_covered.pdf?c=1640020576">new study</a> by the researchers from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) claims that the virus can spread to the heart and brain within days. The study also revealed that the virus can survive in organs for months.

However, those who can relate to the mentioned problems, need to understand that the yet to be peer-reviewed research relates to fatal Covid cases. It has not based on people with long Covid issues.&nbsp;

The findings of the report have been released online in a manuscript that is under review for publication in Nature. For the study, the researchers have analysed tissues taken during autopsies of 44 patients who had died after contracting coronavirus.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/implant-helps-paralysed-man-make-social-media-post-with-just-thought-in-australia-440296">Implant helps paralysed man make social media post with just thought in Australia</a>

They have found that the virus can travel from one organ to another; one of the reasons why patients have complained of symptoms affecting organs besides the respiratory system or those organs which are generally not affected by Covid.&nbsp;

As per the study, researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in multiple parts of the body, including the brain, even as many as 230 days after infection.&nbsp;

"Our results collectively show that while the highest burden of SARS-CoV-2 is in the airways and lung, the virus can disseminate early during infection and infect cells throughout the entire body, including widely throughout the brain," the team, led by Daniel Chertow wrote.

"We show that SARS-CoV-2 is widely distributed, even among patients who died with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19, and that virus replication is present in multiple pulmonary and extrapulmonary tissues early in infection," the researchers wrote.

"Further, we detected persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA in multiple anatomic sites, including regions throughout the brain, for up to 230 days following symptom onset," they added.&nbsp;

Many COVID-19 patients have complained that the symptoms or the side effects of the virus sometimes persist for months - it can be a case of long Covid. Long Covid is described when signs and symptoms of the virus last for a few weeks or months after having a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Many COVID-19 patients have complained that the symptoms or the side effects of the virus sometimes persist for months - it can be a case of long Covid. Long Covid is described when signs and symptoms of the virus last for a few weeks or months after having a confirmed case of COVID-19. Studies have found that the virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain and when it happens, the risk of long-term Covid-related health problems gets increased. Brain fog, fatigue, chest pain, depression or anxiety are some of the side effects that many people, who were tested positive for Covid, claimed to have suffered for months. ALSO READ | 'Do not resuscitate': Scientists detect 'brain tsunamis' in human beings A new study by the researchers from the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) claims that the virus can spread to the heart and brain within days. The study also revealed that the virus can survive in organs for months. However, those who can relate to the mentioned problems, need to understand that the yet to be peer-reviewed research relates to fatal Covid cases. It has not based on people with long Covid issues. The findings of the report have been released online in a manuscript that is under review for publication in Nature. For the study, the researchers have analysed tissues taken during autopsies of 44 patients who had died after contracting coronavirus. ALSO READ | Implant helps paralysed man make social media post with just thought in Australia They have found that the virus can travel from one organ to another; one of the reasons why patients have complained of symptoms affecting organs besides the respiratory system or those organs which are generally not affected by Covid. As per the study, researchers found that SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in multiple parts of the body, including the brain, even as many as 230 days after infection. "Our results collectively show that while the highest burden of SARS-CoV-2 is in the airways and lung, the virus can disseminate early during infection and infect cells throughout the entire body, including widely throughout the brain," the team, led by Daniel Chertow wrote. "We show that SARS-CoV-2 is widely distributed, even among patients who died with asymptomatic to mild COVID-19, and that virus replication is present in multiple pulmonary and extrapulmonary tissues early in infection," the researchers wrote. "Further, we detected persistent SARS-CoV-2 RNA in multiple anatomic sites, including regions throughout the brain, for up to 230 days following symptom onset," they added.

What is long Covid? Study says virus can spread to heart and brain within days, stays for months

As the world is trying to recover from the deadly Covid-19, a new study shed light towards how long covid has been affecting a lot of people worldwide.&nbsp;

Researchers from the University of Michigan have said that nearly 40 per cent of the people affected by Covid had after-effects of the illness, that is, long Covid. The conclusion was made after these researchers analysed 40 studies from 17 different countries.

For people who have been hospitalised due to Covid, the chances of long Covid rise to 57 per cent.

"Based on a WHO estimate of 237 million worldwide Covid-19 infections, this global pooled...estimate indicates that around 100 million individuals currently experience or have previously experienced long-term health-related consequences of Covid," the researchers said. They further warned that long Covid can increase pressure on the health care system.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/37-per-cent-patients-have-long-covid-symptoms-months-post-recovery-oxford-study-416740">Also read |&nbsp;37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study</a>

The study has revealed that for female survivors the rate is 49 per cent whereas for male survivors the rate is 37 per cent. There are nearly 49 per cent long Covid cases in Asia, 44 per cent in Europe and 39 per cent in North America.&nbsp;

Long Covid can be defined as new or persistent symptoms of the disease after four or more weeks of the infection. Most common symptoms of long Covid that persisted after recovery are fatigue, breathing problems, pain and anxiety or depression and abdominal symptoms.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, a study in September showed that 1 in 3 Covid patients had at least one long Covid symptom even after three to six months after recovery.&nbsp;

The research was carried out by Oxford University, Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre and National Institute for Health Research. The study has been published in journal PLOS Medicine.

As the world is trying to recover from the deadly Covid-19, a new study shed light towards how long covid has been affecting a lot of people worldwide. Researchers from the University of Michigan have said that nearly 40 per cent of the people affected by Covid had after-effects of the illness, that is, long Covid.

As the world is trying to recover from the deadly Covid-19, a new study shed light towards how long covid has been affecting a lot of people worldwide. Researchers from the University of Michigan have said that nearly 40 per cent of the people affected by Covid had after-effects of the illness, that is, long Covid. The conclusion was made after these researchers analysed 40 studies from 17 different countries. For people who have been hospitalised due to Covid, the chances of long Covid rise to 57 per cent. "Based on a WHO estimate of 237 million worldwide Covid-19 infections, this global pooled...estimate indicates that around 100 million individuals currently experience or have previously experienced long-term health-related consequences of Covid," the researchers said. They further warned that long Covid can increase pressure on the health care system. Also read | 37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study The study has revealed that for female survivors the rate is 49 per cent whereas for male survivors the rate is 37 per cent. There are nearly 49 per cent long Covid cases in Asia, 44 per cent in Europe and 39 per cent in North America. Long Covid can be defined as new or persistent symptoms of the disease after four or more weeks of the infection. Most common symptoms of long Covid that persisted after recovery are fatigue, breathing problems, pain and anxiety or depression and abdominal symptoms. Meanwhile, a study in September showed that 1 in 3 Covid patients had at least one long Covid symptom even after three to six months after recovery. The research was carried out by Oxford University, Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre and National Institute for Health Research. The study has been published in journal PLOS Medicine.

Nearly 100 million people worldwide have suffered from long Covid: Study

Since she tested positive for the coronavirus in April 2020, Josie Cabrera Taveras has found herself sleeping for up to 15 hours a day, stopping in grocery store aisles to catch her breath, lapsing in and out of consciousness and unable to return to her job as a nanny.

She believes that she is one of thousands, possibly millions, of Americans who may have a condition known as “long COVID.” The Biden administration has said people with the condition could qualify for federal disability protections and benefits, which can include health care, housing and unemployment benefits.

But like many others who may have long COVID, Taveras, 31, of New York, has had a hard time proving it.

Two brain MRIs, several heart ultrasounds, dozens of lung X-rays, two stomach endoscopies, one colonoscopy and multiple CT scans have all provided the same results: Everything looks normal. “It’s something doctors can’t explain yet, what’s happening to me,” Taveras said.

With no direct medical evidence of her condition, she has been turned down for disability coverage twice. Even a note from a prestigious post-COVID clinic in the Mount Sinai hospital system, attesting that Taveras “continues to experience daily symptoms and is currently unable to work,” was not enough.

In July, at a White House event celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act, President Joe Biden promised “to make sure Americans with long COVID who have a disability have access to the rights and resources that are due under the disability law.”

But with no widely agreed-on method of diagnosing the ailment, those who believe they have long COVID are finding it difficult to qualify under a system that is unfamiliar and already tricky to navigate.

Studies have shown that a significant number of COVID-19 patients continue to seek treatment for a wide range of medical conditions many months after a diagnosis. The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation estimates that 3 million to 10 million Americans may have long COVID.

Yet many of those seeking benefits cannot produce a positive coronavirus test, which were in short supply at the beginning of the pandemic. And lab results and scans often show nothing unusual for those continuing to experience symptoms.

“I expect the tests to come back normal,” said Dr. Luis Tatem, an infectious-disease specialist who has been treating Taveras and other long COVID patients at the University Hospital of Brooklyn. He added: “We’re used to having a laboratory to back us up. And for this, you don’t.”

Since December 2020, the Social Security Administration has determined that about 16,000 applicants were able to provide medical evidence supporting COVID-19 as one of their impairments, according to Nicole Tiggemann, a spokesperson for the agency, which was not flagging COVID cases before that.

But she would not say how many of those 16,000 applicants had been approved for benefits, or how many people claiming long COVID as a condition had been denied. Many cases are probably still pending; wait times for a determination can stretch for five months or more.

The pandemic forced the Social Security Administration to largely shut down in-person services, and some experts predict a flood of applicants with long COVID in the coming year, on top of the agency’s already-strained workload.

“Addressing the disability backlog is one of our top priorities,” Tiggemann said via email, acknowledging that the pandemic had increased wait times. Biden has called for an increased $1.3 billion for the agency’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year, but his proposal is part of the current negotiations in Congress, and it is unclear whether it will pass.

About 8.1 million disabled workers and 1.4 million of their family workers receive disability benefits, which average about $1,280 a month. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate a disability that substantially limits their ability to work and has lasted, or will last, for at least a year. Typically, the Social Security Administration uses medical assessments or health records to determine whether someone qualifies, and a vast majority of those approved for disability stay on it for life.

Getting approved can be difficult. Between 2009 and 2018, the Social Security Administration denied 66% of applications on average.

But some people with long COVID symptoms have had success — even without a positive coronavirus test — if they are able to demonstrate a substantial downturn in their health and ability to work.

Steven Trompeter, 49, was unable to perform his job as an industrial mechanic after getting sick with COVID symptoms, including cough, fever, muscle aches and loss of taste and smell, in February 2020. He applied for disability in December 2020 and was approved six months later.

Trompeter, a Navy veteran who lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho, said he believed that the extensive medical records documenting his past health and his repeated visits to a Veterans Affairs medical clinic in 2020 helped show how sick he had become, with ongoing “brain fog” and other difficulties.

“I’ve heard nightmares where you have to get denied three times and then get a lawyer to go before a judge, and I didn’t have to do any of that,” he said. “I just had to wait.”

Tiggemann said a determination of whether people qualify for benefits has more to do with how their symptoms affect their ability to function than the exact diagnosis. So a positive COVID test, while helpful, might not be necessary if the other evidence clearly shows an inability to work, she said.

“No two cases are the same, each case is individual,” she said. “We look at doctor’s tests, medical records, past treatments and whether they have other conditions.”

Long COVID has proved similar to other diseases that can be difficult to diagnose, including myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome — conditions that can also cause fatigue, memory issues and joint pain.

Patients with these diseases often find it difficult to qualify for disability benefits and get accurate, timely medical diagnoses. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and organizations that represent people with those conditions have shown that some patients can spend years or even more than a decade trying to determine what causes their illnesses.

Many medical schools do not offer enough training on these types of diseases, and research for them is underfunded, said Linda Tannenbaum, chief executive of the Open Medicine Foundation, a nonprofit that funds research into chronic complex diseases like fibromyalgia and long COVID. “Most patients cannot get disability benefits,” she said.

Dr. Stephen Martin, a physician and professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said the complex nature of diagnosing long COVID required the coordination of various specialists who also have specific knowledge of the condition. Many are overbooked, he said, with wait lists of more than six months — especially for patients who do not have good health insurance.

“This really hits us in our Achilles’ heel of health care,” Martin said. “The American health care system really isn’t set up to do this at scale.”

Sandee Babb, 54, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has seen nearly two dozen doctors over the past year trying to figure out what is causing a range of symptoms, including cardiac arrhythmia, a chronic cough, shortness of breath and joint pain, which have kept her from returning to her job as a teacher and librarian. She says she gets breathless just trying to put her socks on, and cannot walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to rest.

“The brain fog is crazy bad,” Babb said. “I’ve been in the shower and stared at my shampoo bottle and couldn’t figure out how to open it.”

She could not get a coronavirus test when she first got sick in March 2020, early in the pandemic. But a September progress note from her doctor said her symptoms “could be consistent with long-haul type syndrome.”

Since getting sick, Babb has lost her home and all of her retirement savings. She is working as a live-in caretaker for a quadriplegic friend in part to keep a roof over her head.

After months documenting her condition, she submitted her unemployment application in August and is not sure when she will get an answer. “If it doesn’t come through, then I’m really stuck,” she said. “Where do I go from here?”

Since she tested positive for the coronavirus in April 2020, Josie Cabrera Taveras has found herself sleeping for up to 15 hours a day, stopping in grocery store aisles to catch her breath, lapsing in and out of consciousness and unable to return to her job as a nanny.

Since she tested positive for the coronavirus in April 2020, Josie Cabrera Taveras has found herself sleeping for up to 15 hours a day, stopping in grocery store aisles to catch her breath, lapsing in and out of consciousness and unable to return to her job as a nanny. She believes that she is one of thousands, possibly millions, of Americans who may have a condition known as “long COVID.” The Biden administration has said people with the condition could qualify for federal disability protections and benefits, which can include health care, housing and unemployment benefits. But like many others who may have long COVID, Taveras, 31, of New York, has had a hard time proving it. Two brain MRIs, several heart ultrasounds, dozens of lung X-rays, two stomach endoscopies, one colonoscopy and multiple CT scans have all provided the same results: Everything looks normal. “It’s something doctors can’t explain yet, what’s happening to me,” Taveras said. With no direct medical evidence of her condition, she has been turned down for disability coverage twice. Even a note from a prestigious post-COVID clinic in the Mount Sinai hospital system, attesting that Taveras “continues to experience daily symptoms and is currently unable to work,” was not enough. In July, at a White House event celebrating the Americans with Disabilities Act, President Joe Biden promised “to make sure Americans with long COVID who have a disability have access to the rights and resources that are due under the disability law.” But with no widely agreed-on method of diagnosing the ailment, those who believe they have long COVID are finding it difficult to qualify under a system that is unfamiliar and already tricky to navigate. Studies have shown that a significant number of COVID-19 patients continue to seek treatment for a wide range of medical conditions many months after a diagnosis. The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation estimates that 3 million to 10 million Americans may have long COVID. Yet many of those seeking benefits cannot produce a positive coronavirus test, which were in short supply at the beginning of the pandemic. And lab results and scans often show nothing unusual for those continuing to experience symptoms. “I expect the tests to come back normal,” said Dr. Luis Tatem, an infectious-disease specialist who has been treating Taveras and other long COVID patients at the University Hospital of Brooklyn. He added: “We’re used to having a laboratory to back us up. And for this, you don’t.” Since December 2020, the Social Security Administration has determined that about 16,000 applicants were able to provide medical evidence supporting COVID-19 as one of their impairments, according to Nicole Tiggemann, a spokesperson for the agency, which was not flagging COVID cases before that. But she would not say how many of those 16,000 applicants had been approved for benefits, or how many people claiming long COVID as a condition had been denied. Many cases are probably still pending; wait times for a determination can stretch for five months or more. The pandemic forced the Social Security Administration to largely shut down in-person services, and some experts predict a flood of applicants with long COVID in the coming year, on top of the agency’s already-strained workload. “Addressing the disability backlog is one of our top priorities,” Tiggemann said via email, acknowledging that the pandemic had increased wait times. Biden has called for an increased $1.3 billion for the agency’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year, but his proposal is part of the current negotiations in Congress, and it is unclear whether it will pass. About 8.1 million disabled workers and 1.4 million of their family workers receive disability benefits, which average about $1,280 a month. To qualify, applicants must demonstrate a disability that substantially limits their ability to work and has lasted, or will last, for at least a year. Typically, the Social Security Administration uses medical assessments or health records to determine whether someone qualifies, and a vast majority of those approved for disability stay on it for life. Getting approved can be difficult. Between 2009 and 2018, the Social Security Administration denied 66% of applications on average. But some people with long COVID symptoms have had success — even without a positive coronavirus test — if they are able to demonstrate a substantial downturn in their health and ability to work. Steven Trompeter, 49, was unable to perform his job as an industrial mechanic after getting sick with COVID symptoms, including cough, fever, muscle aches and loss of taste and smell, in February 2020. He applied for disability in December 2020 and was approved six months later. Trompeter, a Navy veteran who lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho, said he believed that the extensive medical records documenting his past health and his repeated visits to a Veterans Affairs medical clinic in 2020 helped show how sick he had become, with ongoing “brain fog” and other difficulties. “I’ve heard nightmares where you have to get denied three times and then get a lawyer to go before a judge, and I didn’t have to do any of that,” he said. “I just had to wait.” Tiggemann said a determination of whether people qualify for benefits has more to do with how their symptoms affect their ability to function than the exact diagnosis. So a positive COVID test, while helpful, might not be necessary if the other evidence clearly shows an inability to work, she said. “No two cases are the same, each case is individual,” she said. “We look at doctor’s tests, medical records, past treatments and whether they have other conditions.” Long COVID has proved similar to other diseases that can be difficult to diagnose, including myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome), fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome — conditions that can also cause fatigue, memory issues and joint pain. Patients with these diseases often find it difficult to qualify for disability benefits and get accurate, timely medical diagnoses. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and organizations that represent people with those conditions have shown that some patients can spend years or even more than a decade trying to determine what causes their illnesses. Many medical schools do not offer enough training on these types of diseases, and research for them is underfunded, said Linda Tannenbaum, chief executive of the Open Medicine Foundation, a nonprofit that funds research into chronic complex diseases like fibromyalgia and long COVID. “Most patients cannot get disability benefits,” she said. Dr. Stephen Martin, a physician and professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, said the complex nature of diagnosing long COVID required the coordination of various specialists who also have specific knowledge of the condition. Many are overbooked, he said, with wait lists of more than six months — especially for patients who do not have good health insurance. “This really hits us in our Achilles’ heel of health care,” Martin said. “The American health care system really isn’t set up to do this at scale.” Sandee Babb, 54, of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has seen nearly two dozen doctors over the past year trying to figure out what is causing a range of symptoms, including cardiac arrhythmia, a chronic cough, shortness of breath and joint pain, which have kept her from returning to her job as a teacher and librarian. She says she gets breathless just trying to put her socks on, and cannot walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to rest. “The brain fog is crazy bad,” Babb said. “I’ve been in the shower and stared at my shampoo bottle and couldn’t figure out how to open it.” She could not get a coronavirus test when she first got sick in March 2020, early in the pandemic. But a September progress note from her doctor said her symptoms “could be consistent with long-haul type syndrome.” Since getting sick, Babb has lost her home and all of her retirement savings. She is working as a live-in caretaker for a quadriplegic friend in part to keep a roof over her head. After months documenting her condition, she submitted her unemployment application in August and is not sure when she will get an answer. “If it doesn’t come through, then I’m really stuck,” she said. “Where do I go from here?”

Another struggle for long Covid patients: Disability benefits

As the world attempts recovery from Covid pandemic with the help of vaccines and other measures,&nbsp;new studies are shedding more light on the occurrence of illness and thus helping strategies to defeat the disease that still has the world in its grips.

A new, comprehensive study has found that 37 per cent (or 1 in 3) Covid patients had at least one long Covid symptom even after three to six months after recovery.&nbsp;

The research was carried out by Oxford University, Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre and National Institute for Health Research. The study has been published in journal PLOS Medicine.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-has-caused-the-biggest-decrease-in-life-expectancy-says-study-416261">COVID-19 has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy, says study</a>

The sample size for the study was huge. 270,000 people recovering from Covid in US were studied.

The study found that most common symptoms of long Covid that persisted after recovery were fatigue, breathing problems, pain and anxiety or depression and abdominal symptoms. It was also found that Long Covid symptoms were more frequent in patients who had been hospitalised. The symptoms were slightly more common in women than men.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/covid-virus-expected-to-continue-to-transmit-for-a-very-long-time-says-who-official-416547">Covid virus expected to continue to transmit for a very long time, says WHO official</a>

Age factor also mattered and which symptoms patients would have was found to be dependent on their age. Older people and men mainly had cognitive problems and breathing difficulties. Young people and women suffered more from headaches, abdominal symptoms or depression.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/every-day-is-frightening-working-for-the-top-us-employer-amid-covid-416476">‘Every day is frightening’: Working for the top US employer amid Covid</a>

It was also found that Covid patients admitted to hospital were more likely to suffer from cognitive problems such as brain fog and fatigue compared to those who did not need hospitalisation.

Experts have been quoted in media reports as saying that this was a 'large, well-conducted and thorough study'.

As the world attempts recovery from Covid pandemic with the help of vaccines and other measures, new studies are shedding more light on the occurrence of illness and thus helping strategies to defeat the disease that still has the world in its grips.

As the world attempts recovery from Covid pandemic with the help of vaccines and other measures, new studies are shedding more light on the occurrence of illness and thus helping strategies to defeat the disease that still has the world in its grips. A new, comprehensive study has found that 37 per cent (or 1 in 3) Covid patients had at least one long Covid symptom even after three to six months after recovery. The research was carried out by Oxford University, Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre and National Institute for Health Research. The study has been published in journal PLOS Medicine. Also Read | COVID-19 has caused the biggest decrease in life expectancy, says study The sample size for the study was huge. 270,000 people recovering from Covid in US were studied. The study found that most common symptoms of long Covid that persisted after recovery were fatigue, breathing problems, pain and anxiety or depression and abdominal symptoms. It was also found that Long Covid symptoms were more frequent in patients who had been hospitalised. The symptoms were slightly more common in women than men. Also Read | Covid virus expected to continue to transmit for a very long time, says WHO official Age factor also mattered and which symptoms patients would have was found to be dependent on their age. Older people and men mainly had cognitive problems and breathing difficulties. Young people and women suffered more from headaches, abdominal symptoms or depression. Also Read | ‘Every day is frightening’: Working for the top US employer amid Covid It was also found that Covid patients admitted to hospital were more likely to suffer from cognitive problems such as brain fog and fatigue compared to those who did not need hospitalisation. Experts have been quoted in media reports as saying that this was a 'large, well-conducted and thorough study'.

37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study

Patients of coronavirus have reported prolonged loss of smell and taste, along with several other problems, and experts seem to have found a way to treat it.<o:p></o:p>

A group of UK researchers have discovered that vitamin A nasal drops might be able to cure the loss (or altered) sense of smell in people post Covid.<o:p></o:p>

Loss of smell has been a commonly reported symptom in majority of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">Covid</a> patients. While some recover from it a few days after they recover from the deadly virus, others have reported prolonged effect.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hell-breaks-loose-as-lancet-describes-women-as-bodies-with-vaginas-416804">Hell breaks loose as Lancet describes women as 'bodies with vaginas'</a></o:p>

University of East Anglia has started a 12-week trial, titled 'Apollo trial', in which only a handful of patients (volunteers) will be given the treatment. <o:p></o:p>

The selected volunteers will be given the treatment and will also be asked to sniff powerful smells such as roses and rotten eggs. Experts will then run brain scans to check if the vitamin has been able to repair injured olfactory pathways (also known as 'smell nerves').<o:p></o:p>

As per researchers, the vitamin had showed benefits in Germany and experts "will explore how this treatment works to help repair tissues in the nose damaged by viruses". The researchers are also hoping that this study "could one day help improve the lives of millions around the world who suffer from smell loss, by returning their fifth sense".

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-has-decreased-life-expectancy-for-men-but-not-for-women-study-415365">Covid has decreased life expectancy for men, but not for women: Study</a></o:p>

Scientists have recommended patients to try and smell at least four different odours twice a day for several months, to bring back their sense of smell.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, experts are urging people to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible to avoid getting infected. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">Vaccines</a> are not just helping cut risk of catching the virus, but are also reducing chanced of people developing long Covid.<o:p></o:p>

UK's Health Secretary Sajid Javid also motivated locals to get vaccinated as soon as possible. "It is clear vaccines are building a wall of defence against the virus and are the best way to protect people from serious illness. I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for both their jabs as quickly as possible."<o:p></o:p>

Patients of coronavirus have reported prolonged loss of smell and taste, along with several other problems, and experts seem to have found a way to treat it. A group of UK researchers have discovered that vitamin A nasal drops might be able to cure the loss (or altered) sense of smell in people post Covid.

Patients of coronavirus have reported prolonged loss of smell and taste, along with several other problems, and experts seem to have found a way to treat it. A group of UK researchers have discovered that vitamin A nasal drops might be able to cure the loss (or altered) sense of smell in people post Covid. Loss of smell has been a commonly reported symptom in majority of the Covid patients. While some recover from it a few days after they recover from the deadly virus, others have reported prolonged effect. Also read | Hell breaks loose as Lancet describes women as 'bodies with vaginas' University of East Anglia has started a 12-week trial, titled 'Apollo trial', in which only a handful of patients (volunteers) will be given the treatment. The selected volunteers will be given the treatment and will also be asked to sniff powerful smells such as roses and rotten eggs. Experts will then run brain scans to check if the vitamin has been able to repair injured olfactory pathways (also known as 'smell nerves'). As per researchers, the vitamin had showed benefits in Germany and experts "will explore how this treatment works to help repair tissues in the nose damaged by viruses". The researchers are also hoping that this study "could one day help improve the lives of millions around the world who suffer from smell loss, by returning their fifth sense". Also read | Covid has decreased life expectancy for men, but not for women: Study Scientists have recommended patients to try and smell at least four different odours twice a day for several months, to bring back their sense of smell. Meanwhile, experts are urging people to get vaccinated against coronavirus as soon as possible to avoid getting infected. Vaccines are not just helping cut risk of catching the virus, but are also reducing chanced of people developing long Covid. UK's Health Secretary Sajid Javid also motivated locals to get vaccinated as soon as possible. "It is clear vaccines are building a wall of defence against the virus and are the best way to protect people from serious illness. I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for both their jabs as quickly as possible."

Can Vitamin A help in treating Covid-caused loss of smell? Experts answer

A study is out to prove that the vaccine experts have not been lying about the benefits of coronavirus vaccine, A research has claimed that the vaccines prevent the virus from changing into long Covid.

Led by experts at the King’s College London, a group of researchers have claimed that people who are getting vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus are not just cutting risk of catching the virus, but are also staying away from turning the virus into long Covid.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/vietnams-covid-crisis-leading-to-disruption-in-global-coffee-supply-409968" hreflang="en">Vietnam's Covid crisis leading to disruption in global coffee supply</a>

In comparison to unvaccinated people, the people who got infected by coronavirus after getting <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccinated</a> were able to make full recovery in majority cases. The chances of developing symptoms after four weeks were cut by 50 per cent, which was not the case for unvaccinated <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">Covid</a> patients.

People infected by coronavirus take four weeks to recover completely, but some people have continued to develop symptoms beyond four weeks and months. This has been termed as long Covid, and is believed to leave a severe effect on people.

However, vaccines, according to researchers, are helping prevent long Covid, along with saving lives and infections.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-zealand-eases-covid-19-curbs-in-most-parts-auckland-remains-under-a-lockdown-410156">WATCH |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-zealand-eases-covid-19-curbs-in-most-parts-auckland-remains-under-a-lockdown-410156/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The researchers gathered data through UK&nbsp;Zoe Covid Study app, in which people self-report symptoms and vaccine effects. Researchers studied the data for nearly 1.2 million adults between the time period of December 2020 to July 2021.

Out of 971,504 fully vaccinated people, only 0.2 per cent people were infected by COVID-19. Then, out of 592 people who provided data even after a month, only five per cent people reported long Covid. However, 11 per cent unvaccinated people had to bear the effects of long Covid.

"It is clear vaccines are building a wall of defence against the virus and are the best way to protect people from serious illness. I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for both their jabs as quickly as possible," said UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

A study is out to prove that the vaccine experts have not been lying about the benefits of coronavirus vaccine, A research has claimed that the vaccines prevent the virus from changing into long Covid.

A study is out to prove that the vaccine experts have not been lying about the benefits of coronavirus vaccine, A research has claimed that the vaccines prevent the virus from changing into long Covid. Led by experts at the King’s College London, a group of researchers have claimed that people who are getting vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus are not just cutting risk of catching the virus, but are also staying away from turning the virus into long Covid. Also read | Vietnam's Covid crisis leading to disruption in global coffee supply In comparison to unvaccinated people, the people who got infected by coronavirus after getting vaccinated were able to make full recovery in majority cases. The chances of developing symptoms after four weeks were cut by 50 per cent, which was not the case for unvaccinated Covid patients. People infected by coronavirus take four weeks to recover completely, but some people have continued to develop symptoms beyond four weeks and months. This has been termed as long Covid, and is believed to leave a severe effect on people. However, vaccines, according to researchers, are helping prevent long Covid, along with saving lives and infections. WATCH | The researchers gathered data through UK Zoe Covid Study app, in which people self-report symptoms and vaccine effects. Researchers studied the data for nearly 1.2 million adults between the time period of December 2020 to July 2021. Out of 971,504 fully vaccinated people, only 0.2 per cent people were infected by COVID-19. Then, out of 592 people who provided data even after a month, only five per cent people reported long Covid. However, 11 per cent unvaccinated people had to bear the effects of long Covid. "It is clear vaccines are building a wall of defence against the virus and are the best way to protect people from serious illness. I encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward for both their jabs as quickly as possible," said UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

Coronavirus vaccines are helping prevent long Covid: Study

The researchers created a web-based survey which was designed to characterise the symptoms and time course in patients were confirmed or suspected to have long Covid.

Lancet study says long Covid has more than 200 symptoms

While coronavirus continues to rage in its mutant forms, it is now being estimated that over 14% of people who catch COVID-19 end up having lasting symptoms- some similar to COVID, while some may be debilitating enough to require long-term support and care.

Coronavirus: What are the symptoms of long COVID?

A new survey of half a million adults in the United Kingdom has revealed that around two million people may have had some long-lasting symptoms after having coronavirus.

A new survey of half a million adults in the United Kingdom has revealed that around two million people may have had some long-lasting symptoms after having coronavirus. This is known as long Covid. As per researchers, managing the long-term consequences are a "major challenge". Long Covid is not yet fully understood. Also, there is no universally agreed definition. It includes a wide variety of symptoms after a Covid infection, including fatigue, coughs, chest pain, headaches and muscle pain. As a part of the study, random samples of people were asked whether they had had Covid-19, and about the presence and duration of 29 different symptoms. It was concluded that around 37 per cent of people who had Covid experienced at least one symptom lasting 12 weeks or more. Nearly 15 per cent had three or more symptoms for at least 12 weeks. Also, long term issues were more common in women, and with increasing age. Factors like increased body weight, smoking, lower incomes, chronic illness and being hospitalised with Covid contributed to a higher chance of experiencing long-lasting symptoms. Also Read | UK study indicates Covid resulting in long-term loss of grey matter Tiredness and shortness of breath were deemed as dominant long-lasting symptom. Prof Paul Elliott, director of the React programme at Imperial College London said that the findings highlighted a 'concerning' picture of the longer-term health consequences of Covid. He was quoted by BBC saying, "Long Covid is still poorly understood but we hope through our research that we can contribute to better identification and management of this condition, which our data and others' suggest may ultimately affect millions of people in the UK alone". Another UK study highlighted that there is a 'substantial loss of grey matter in those who recovered from Covid-19. The loss of grey matter hint towards damage to certain areas of the brain. As per experts, it suggests damage to areas of the brain. As a part of the study, the UK Biobank (UKB) performed brain image tests on over 40,000 participants before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The scientists used structural and functional brain scans from before and after the Covid-19 infection. This helped them to compare changes in the brain between these 394 Covid patients and 388 controls (those who tested negative) who were matched for age, sex, ethnicity and interval between scans. Most of the Covid patients who were examined had mild to moderate disease in the past.

More than two million in England may have suffered from Long Covid, says study

Even though scientists have understood the basic tenets of COVID-19 by now, a lot still remains to be learned about the virus. With variants sprouting up across the world, the fight against containing the transmission has picked up. But many who recover from the virus continue to feel sick for a period longer than normal.

Scientists have called this “long-COVID” which is basically persistence of coronavirus symptoms among recovered people for long periods. Most of them report nausea, shortness of breath and body ache along with a feeling of fatigue.

A new study sheds light on how coronavirus affects kids. Turns out, they’re at high risk of developing long-COVID including persistent fatigue. As part of this study, scientists interviewed parents of over 500 children who were admitted into a hospital in Moscow due to COVID-19 between April and August in 2020.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/british-study-finds-almost-one-in-seven-suffer-long-covid-symptoms-374862" hreflang="en">British study finds almost one in seven suffer long Covid symptoms</a>

Upon further study, it was found that at least a quarter of them had reported symptoms of coronavirus five months after recovering from the virus. Most commonly reported issues include fatigue, sleep disruption, and sensory concerns.&nbsp;

A global team of scientists including British researchers from the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (Isaric) conducted the study.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/who-urges-actions-for-long-covid-sufferers-366223" hreflang="en">WHO urges actions for 'long COVID' sufferers</a>

They found that out of 518 children part of the suited, 24 per cent reported continuous symptoms for 7-9 months after falling sick. Fatigue was reported among 10 per cent kids, followed by sleep disturbances (7 per cent) and sensory issues (6 per cent).

It was also found that kids with allergies remained at higher risk of persistent symptoms.

Even though scientists have understood the basic tenets of COVID-19 by now, a lot still remains to be learned about the virus. With variants sprouting up across the world, the fight against containing the transmission has picked up.

Even though scientists have understood the basic tenets of COVID-19 by now, a lot still remains to be learned about the virus. With variants sprouting up across the world, the fight against containing the transmission has picked up. But many who recover from the virus continue to feel sick for a period longer than normal. Scientists have called this “long-COVID” which is basically persistence of coronavirus symptoms among recovered people for long periods. Most of them report nausea, shortness of breath and body ache along with a feeling of fatigue. A new study sheds light on how coronavirus affects kids. Turns out, they’re at high risk of developing long-COVID including persistent fatigue. As part of this study, scientists interviewed parents of over 500 children who were admitted into a hospital in Moscow due to COVID-19 between April and August in 2020. Also read: British study finds almost one in seven suffer long Covid symptoms Upon further study, it was found that at least a quarter of them had reported symptoms of coronavirus five months after recovering from the virus. Most commonly reported issues include fatigue, sleep disruption, and sensory concerns. A global team of scientists including British researchers from the International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infection Consortium (Isaric) conducted the study. Also read: WHO urges actions for 'long COVID' sufferers They found that out of 518 children part of the suited, 24 per cent reported continuous symptoms for 7-9 months after falling sick. Fatigue was reported among 10 per cent kids, followed by sleep disturbances (7 per cent) and sensory issues (6 per cent). It was also found that kids with allergies remained at higher risk of persistent symptoms.

Children at risk of long-Covid symptoms, new study finds

About 33 per cent of people who earlier were hospitalised because of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, readmitted for additional treatment within four months of getting discharged and one in eight of patients have lost their lives in the same period, doctors have said.&nbsp;

Researchers at University College London, University of Leicester, and the Office for National Statistics, compared the medical history of about 48,000 people who were admitted for Covid-19 treatments and discharged by August 31, 2020, with records from a matched control group from the general population, reports The Guardian.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/biontech-pfizer-say-covid-19-jab-100-effective-on-12-15-year-olds-374643/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

These records were taken to track rates of readmission, deaths, diagnoses of diseases ranging from the kidney to liver and metabolic diseases like diabetes.&nbsp;

The study found that after 140 days, about a third of Covid-19 patients who had been discharged were readmitted and one in eight died, rates that were significantly more than seen in the control group.&nbsp;

"This is a concern and we need to take it seriously," Dr Amitava Banerjee from the Institute of Health Informatics at University College London said.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-launches-biggest-vaccination-drive-as-coronavirus-cases-rise-374789">India launches biggest vaccination drive as coronavirus cases rise</a>

"We show conclusively here that this is very far from a benign illness. We need to monitor post-Covid patients so we can pick up organ impairment early on."

About 33 per cent of people who earlier were hospitalised because of coronavirus, readmitted for additional treatment within four months of getting discharged and one in eight of patients have lost their lives in the same period, doctors have said.

About 33 per cent of people who earlier were hospitalised because of coronavirus, readmitted for additional treatment within four months of getting discharged and one in eight of patients have lost their lives in the same period, doctors have said. Researchers at University College London, University of Leicester, and the Office for National Statistics, compared the medical history of about 48,000 people who were admitted for Covid-19 treatments and discharged by August 31, 2020, with records from a matched control group from the general population, reports The Guardian. Watch | These records were taken to track rates of readmission, deaths, diagnoses of diseases ranging from the kidney to liver and metabolic diseases like diabetes. The study found that after 140 days, about a third of Covid-19 patients who had been discharged were readmitted and one in eight died, rates that were significantly more than seen in the control group. "This is a concern and we need to take it seriously," Dr Amitava Banerjee from the Institute of Health Informatics at University College London said. Also read | India launches biggest vaccination drive as coronavirus cases rise "We show conclusively here that this is very far from a benign illness. We need to monitor post-Covid patients so we can pick up organ impairment early on."

About 33% of Covid-hospitalised patients readmitted within four months

People suffering from long COVID, or simply the persistence of coronavirus symptoms, are now reporting new symptoms. Long COVID remains elusive, with scientists attempting to understand why symptoms last longer in some people. In a long COVID situation, people can experience symptoms like shortness of breath, tiredness for months after recovering from the virus.

Now, new symptoms have come in. People with long COVID are reporting the oddest symptoms one could imagine&nbsp;- a strong stench of fish, sulphur, and a sickly odour, as reported by Sky News.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/can-new-vaccines-take-on-covid-mutation-351921/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Vaccines for COVID-19 may have emerged, but the virus itself continues to surprise scientists and doctors alike, as new variants and symptoms keep popping up across the world. A recent variant which is considered more quickly spreading than the original strain has triggered panic in the world, akin to the earlier days of coronavirus last year.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science/your-overdramatic-immune-system-could-be-causing-long-covid-study-349625" hreflang="en">Your overdramatic immune system could be causing 'long COVID': Study</a>

Distortion of smell is a common symptom of COVID-19, but its particulars had remain unrevealed. Officially referred to as "parosmia", the distortion of smell is largely reported among young people as well as healthcare officials.

An ENT surgeon - Professor Nirmal Kumar told Sky News that the symptom was "very strange and very unique''. Kumar added how many patients are experiencing long-term distortion of smell, most of which is unpleasant.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/rare-fungal-infection-detected-in-coronavirus-patients-349431" hreflang="en">Rare fungal infection detected in coronavirus patients</a>

Anybody undergoing distortion of smells is being recommended to take on ''smell training'' - a process involving sniffing lemon, rose, clove, and eucalyptus oils every day for at least 20 seconds to slowly regain sense of smell.

Earlier, scientists claimed to have understood why coronavirus symptoms linger in some patients for a long period of time, or what is commonly known as “long COVID”.

Turns out, it’s part of the body’s reaction against COVID-19. But it’s a direct result of an overdramatic response from the immune system. Once the carrier beats the virus, its symptoms fully disappear, but in some cases, the symptoms can continue to show for months after recovery.

People suffering from long COVID, or simply the persistence of coronavirus symptoms, are now reporting new symptoms. Long COVID remains elusive, with scientists attempting to understand why symptoms last longer in some people.

People suffering from long COVID, or simply the persistence of coronavirus symptoms, are now reporting new symptoms. Long COVID remains elusive, with scientists attempting to understand why symptoms last longer in some people. In a long COVID situation, people can experience symptoms like shortness of breath, tiredness for months after recovering from the virus. Now, new symptoms have come in. People with long COVID are reporting the oddest symptoms one could imagine - a strong stench of fish, sulphur, and a sickly odour, as reported by Sky News. Vaccines for COVID-19 may have emerged, but the virus itself continues to surprise scientists and doctors alike, as new variants and symptoms keep popping up across the world. A recent variant which is considered more quickly spreading than the original strain has triggered panic in the world, akin to the earlier days of coronavirus last year. Also read: Your overdramatic immune system could be causing 'long COVID': Study Distortion of smell is a common symptom of COVID-19, but its particulars had remain unrevealed. Officially referred to as "parosmia", the distortion of smell is largely reported among young people as well as healthcare officials. An ENT surgeon - Professor Nirmal Kumar told Sky News that the symptom was "very strange and very unique''. Kumar added how many patients are experiencing long-term distortion of smell, most of which is unpleasant. Also read: Rare fungal infection detected in coronavirus patients Anybody undergoing distortion of smells is being recommended to take on ''smell training'' - a process involving sniffing lemon, rose, clove, and eucalyptus oils every day for at least 20 seconds to slowly regain sense of smell. Earlier, scientists claimed to have understood why coronavirus symptoms linger in some patients for a long period of time, or what is commonly known as “long COVID”. Turns out, it’s part of the body’s reaction against COVID-19. But it’s a direct result of an overdramatic response from the immune system. Once the carrier beats the virus, its symptoms fully disappear, but in some cases, the symptoms can continue to show for months after recovery.

New 'long COVID' symptoms may include stench of fish and burning

Continual illness after contracting Covid-19, sometimes referred to as "long Covid" may not affect just the respiratory system, but brain and kidneys too among others, doctors on Thursday said.&nbsp;

Britain's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), in a preliminary report on long-term Covid-19, observed that people with the deadly virus, including the ones who were infected seven months or more time ago, have symptoms appear in one area of the body, which abates and rises again in different parts.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/facebook-and-elected-officials-biggest-sources-of-coronavirus-disinformation-journalists-claim-335220">Facebook and elected officials biggest sources of coronavirus disinformation, journalists claim</a>

"This review highlights the detrimental physical and psychological impact that ongoing COVID is having on many people's lives," said Dr Elaine Maxwell, the lead author of the study, reported news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-lockdowns-led-to-unprecedented-decline-in-global-emissions-study-335217">Coronavirus lockdowns led to unprecedented decline in global emissions: Study</a>

Thousands of people across the world have taken to social media to share their experiences of ongoing coronavirus symptoms. Some describe themselves as "long haulers", while others call their situation "long Covid".

Data from UK-based patient group LongCovidSOS, King’s College London's symptom tracker app found 10 per cent of patients remain unwell after three weeks post the infection and up to 5 per cent continue to remain sick for months.&nbsp;

In an online briefing, Maxwell said health services are struggling "to manage these new and fluctuating patterns of symptoms and problems".

For this report, Maxwell and his team took testimonies of 14 members of a Facebook group called Long COVID.

Maxwell said their testimonies suggest that the symptoms fluctuate in severity and move around the body including the respiratory system, kidneys, brain, gut, liver, cardiovascular system and skin.&nbsp;

"There are powerful stories that ongoing COVID symptoms are experienced by people of all ages, and people from all backgrounds," the report said.&nbsp;

Continual illness after contracting Covid-19, sometimes referred to as "long Covid" may not affect just the respiratory system, but brain and kidneys too among others, doctors on Thursday said.

Continual illness after contracting Covid-19, sometimes referred to as "long Covid" may not affect just the respiratory system, but brain and kidneys too among others, doctors on Thursday said. Britain's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), in a preliminary report on long-term Covid-19, observed that people with the deadly virus, including the ones who were infected seven months or more time ago, have symptoms appear in one area of the body, which abates and rises again in different parts. Also read | Facebook and elected officials biggest sources of coronavirus disinformation, journalists claim "This review highlights the detrimental physical and psychological impact that ongoing COVID is having on many people's lives," said Dr Elaine Maxwell, the lead author of the study, reported news agency Reuters. Also read | Coronavirus lockdowns led to unprecedented decline in global emissions: Study Thousands of people across the world have taken to social media to share their experiences of ongoing coronavirus symptoms. Some describe themselves as "long haulers", while others call their situation "long Covid". Data from UK-based patient group LongCovidSOS, King’s College London's symptom tracker app found 10 per cent of patients remain unwell after three weeks post the infection and up to 5 per cent continue to remain sick for months. In an online briefing, Maxwell said health services are struggling "to manage these new and fluctuating patterns of symptoms and problems". For this report, Maxwell and his team took testimonies of 14 members of a Facebook group called Long COVID. Maxwell said their testimonies suggest that the symptoms fluctuate in severity and move around the body including the respiratory system, kidneys, brain, gut, liver, cardiovascular system and skin. "There are powerful stories that ongoing COVID symptoms are experienced by people of all ages, and people from all backgrounds," the report said.

'Long Covid' may hit several body parts: Doctors

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