The study, published by Oxford Open Immunology by Oxford University Press, states that while Covid-19 was originally thought to be a short-term disease, there are symptoms beyond that in a large number of patients.
In fact, more than 80 per cent registered at least one symptom that lasted within the first month for patients who were initially hospitalized, it added.
Long-Covid symptoms can differ widely. These involve cough, low-grade fever, exhaustion, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, headaches, cognitive issues, pain and weakness in the muscles, gastrointestinal distress, rashes, metabolic disturbance, depression, and other conditions of mental health.
The study’s authors argued that many potential mechanisms may be important to the understanding of long-Covid persistence. This entails glial cell activity and blood-brain barrier permeability.
They also suggested symptom control techniques. Chronic, low-grade inflammation is linked to some of the signs of long-Covid, depression, and other mental health issues.
As such, current treatment methods include anti-inflammatory drugs for patients with depression. In controlling our immune activation, psychosocial factors are also very important, the researchers wrote.
The authors suggest that interventions that address the level of stress of a patient through improved social support, physical activity, and an adjusted diet may also be effective in controlling Covid-19-related long-term symptoms.
Dr Valeria Mondelli, Lead Author, Clinical Reader, Psychoneuroimmunology, said: “We are suggesting that we take advantage of what we have learned over the years about how the brain and the immune system interact and the immune system’s contribution to the development of long-covid symptoms in other medical conditions.”
“This is likely to speed up our understanding of the mechanisms underlying long-Covid and the recognition of efficient treatments,” she said.
