New study finds women aged 40 to 55 are at 'significantly higher risk' of long-term infection with the new coronavirus than men

Globally, women between the ages of 40 and 55 are at the highest risk of developing long-term COVID-19 infection, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

The peer-reviewed study, led by the University of Texas Health Science Center, looked at 12,276 people and found that women were at “significantly higher risk” of long-term COVID-19 infection than men.

Among the study participants, 95% of women aged 40 to 55 were associated with a higher risk of long-term COVID-19 infection, which was 1.31 to 1.44 times more likely than men.

• Women aged 18 to 39 had a 1.04 times lower risk than men.
• In general, non-pregnant women had 1.5 times the risk of long-term COVID-19 infection than men.
• Menopausal women had a 1.42 times higher risk than men, and non-menopausal women had a 1.45 times higher risk.

The findings suggested that a patient's gender, age, and other factors should be considered when assessing the long-term risk of contracting the coronavirus.

The onset of long-term COVID-19 infection was measured using a self-reported symptom-based questionnaire and scoring guidelines 6 months after initial infection.

Why are women at higher risk?

Medical researchers at the University of New South Wales have been investigating the long-term effects of coronavirus as part of the Kirby Institute's ADAPT study.

Gail Matthews of the Kirby Institute, one of the study's lead researchers, said there are several theories as to why COVID-19 has affected women more than men over the long term. .

In other words, there is a chronic, abnormal immune response in which the body tries to react to something. And that's why people have this continued fatigue and viral symptoms. ”

He said another theory related to the autoimmune phenomenon is that COVID-19 causes autoimmunity, which could also explain why the virus is more prevalent in women, as women are twice as likely to get it than men. He said it might be possible.

“We know that women tend to have more autoimmune diseases. That may be why women have more autoimmune diseases. It could be an autoimmune process stimulated by a virus.” Professor Matthews explained.

What is long coronavirus?

The coronavirus has infected more than 700 million people and killed an estimated 7 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Many people recover, but some experience long-term effects.

The WHO defines long-term COVID-19 infection as the continuation or onset of new symptoms three months after initial COVID-19 infection and symptoms that persist for at least two months without any other explanation. .

Symptoms that contribute to the long coronavirus definition include malaise after exertion, fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, loss or change in sense of smell or taste, dry mouth, chronic cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, snoring and sleep. This includes hourly apnea.

An Australian National University (ANU) study of more than 11,000 Australians who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022 found that almost one in five people were diagnosed with the virus at the time of their initial diagnosis. It was revealed that he had been suffering from a long-term infection with the new coronavirus for three months.

ANU researcher Mulu Abraha Woldegiorgis said the findings show that the risk of developing long-term coronavirus infection is higher than previously thought.

“This prevalence is more than double the prevalence reported in a review of Australian data early in the pandemic, and higher than similar studies conducted in the UK and Canada,” Dr Woldegiorgis said. said.

He said the long-term risk of contracting COVID-19 is also greater for women, people aged 50 to 69, people with pre-existing conditions and those who have received fewer vaccinations.

What are the most common symptoms of long-term coronavirus infection?

The most frequently reported symptoms were fatigue and fatigue.

Seventy per cent of ANU study participants reported these symptoms, followed by difficulty thinking and concentrating, or 'brain fog', sleep disturbances and coughing.

One-third of the women in the study, who had had a long-term COVID-19 infection, also reported changes in their menstrual cycles.

“This was most common for GP visits, with hospital admissions and emergency department visits thankfully less common,” she said.

The study found that 64% of long-term COVID-19 patients were able to fully return to work or study within one month of infection, but 18% were still well enough to return three months after infection. I reported that there was no.

“Further research may help us better understand the duration and severity of long-term COVID-19 infections and identify effective treatments,” Dr. Woldegiorgis said.