Twice the risk of respiratory problems after a COVID-19 infection

People who have had COVID-19 are twice as likely as others to subsequently develop a pulmonary embolism or respiratory problems, according to a study by American health authorities published on Tuesday.

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This work also shows that among people aged 18 to 64 who have contracted COVID-19, one in five suffers from symptoms following their infection and that can be attributed to it. Among those over 65, this figure rises to one in four.

This proportion corresponds to the results of past studies which have estimated that around 20 to 30% the number of former COVID-19 patients experiencing long-term symptoms, more commonly known as long-term COVID.

A total of 26 health concerns potentially related to COVID-19 have been investigated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), based on an extensive database of medical records across all United States.

The symptoms experienced by patients who had COVID-19 after their infection (more than 350,000 people) were compared to patients who did not have it, over a period from March 2020 to November 2021.

“Former COVID-19 patients are significantly more likely than the control group to develop conditions that can be attributed to prior infection,” the CDC wrote.

The most common health concerns experienced were respiratory symptoms, as well as musculoskeletal pain.

Among those over 65, all the health concerns studied were more likely to occur after infection with COVID-19. In adults under 65, the risk remained unchanged for only a few (mental health problems, cerebrovascular diseases, etc.).

For both groups, the risk was greatest for respiratory symptoms and pulmonary embolism — blood clots blocking a pulmonary artery, which can be fatal.

“Routine evaluations of pathologies appearing after COVID-19 are crucial to reduce their incidence and impact, especially in people over the age of 65,” the CDC wrote.

They point out that the study did not take into account the vaccination status of the patients, and was carried out before the variants currently in circulation appeared.