There are three different types of long-term Covid, and each has its own set of symptoms, according to researchers.
Experts from King’s College London studied 1,459 people living with persistent Covid – defined by the study authors as having symptoms for at least 84 days after infection – and found that there appear to be three ‘subtypes’ of the condition.
A preliminary version of the study published on medRxiv revealed that people with long Covid appeared to be divided into three main groups, including:
- Those with neurological symptoms, including fatigue, brain fog and headaches – most common among those who became infected when the most dominant strains were alpha and delta.
- A second group that had respiratory symptoms, including chest pain and shortness of breath. This is found more often among those infected during the first wave of the virus.
- The latter group experienced a range of symptoms, including palpitations, muscle aches and changes to the skin and hair, King’s College said.
But the researchers said the three subtypes were evident in all variants.
Lead clinical author Dr Claire Steeves, from King’s College London, said: “These data clearly show that post-covid syndrome is not just one condition, but appears to have several subtypes.
“Understanding the root causes of these subtypes can help find treatment strategies.
“Furthermore, these data highlight the need for long-term Covid services to include a personalized approach sensitive to each individual’s problems.”
Dr Leanne Kanas, from King’s College London, who was also involved in the study, added: “These insights may help to develop personalized diagnosis and treatment for these individuals.”
Flight attendant Catherine Francis, 29, had to leave work in March after developing Covid symptoms 17 months after contracting
(PA Ready)
It emerged last week that one in 20 people infected with Covid-19 have long-term problems with smell or taste as a result, according to research published in the BMJ, which reviewed data from 18 studies involving 3,699 patients.
This could mean that millions of people around the world may have had problems with smell and taste at least six months after a Covid infection.
Losing or changing the sense of smell or taste can cause people to experience “serious distress”, scientists have said, as they urged health systems to be prepared to support people who often feel “isolated” when rejected by clinicians.
The Independent recently reported on the case of flight attendant Catherine Francis, who had to quit her job because her long-term Covid symptoms were so severe.
The 29-year-old from Burgess Hill, West Sussex, caught Covid in October 2020 and left her job in March 2022. She still struggles with severe breathing pain, a chronic cough and muscle weakness, among other symptoms, 22 months after her initial infection.
The latest figures show that Covid-19 infections in the UK have jumped by around 7 per cent, with the ongoing increase still being driven by the latest variants of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5.
Hospital numbers also continue to rise, with early signs of an increase in intensive care admissions among older age groups.
A total of 3.8 million people in private households are thought to have had coronavirus in the week to July 14, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). There were around 3.3 million cases in the UK the previous week.
This is the highest estimate for the total number of infections since the end of April, but is still slightly below the record of 4.9 million seen at the peak of the Omicron BA.2 wave in late March.
Additional report from the Press Association
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