US govt analysing deaths attributed to long Covid: Report
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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. 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 initialcoronavirusinfection.
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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