A new study has found that long-term covid can increase the risk of dying in the first year following a diagnosis.
The University of Florida researchers analyzed the health records of over 13,000 people and followed them for twelve months.
The likelihood of dying from severe Covid symptoms was 2.5 times higher for patients who received a diagnosis than those who did not test positive.
The mortality rate for patients younger than 65 with severe symptoms was 3.3 times higher in patients suffering from these conditions.
Lead author of the study said that unrecognized Covid complications pose a significant risk of death. Such complications may be avoided by vaccination.
New research shows that those suffering from severe Covid symptoms in hospitals have a higher risk of dying than others over the following year. Pictured: September 20, 2021, Tarzana ICU staff treat a Covid victim.
Scientists and doctors now know that Covid infections may cause symptoms even weeks after the initial diagnosis.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the long Covid condition is thought to affect between 10-30 percent of coronavirus-infected people.
There can be many signs and symptoms, such as shortness or coughing, headaches, dizziness, nausea and fatigue.
Covid sufferers for over a year have suffered symptoms.
According to a new study, prolonged Covid symptoms can increase mortality risk within one year of diagnosis.
Researchers at the University of Florida used anonymized health records to track 13,600 patients over 12 months following their Covid test results or other doctor visits.
“We previously conducted a study which showed that patients who have suffered from severe Covid were significantly more likely to be hospitalized within the following six months,” Dr Arch Mainous (lead author of the study) stated in a statement.
He said, “This study was extended to examine mortality risk for the next twelve months.”
Mainous and co-workers studied 13,600 patients. Of these, 424 were Covid cases. These Covid cases were confirmed by positive PCR results.
There were 178 of them with severe Covid, meaning that they had to be admitted within the first 30 days.
13200 of the remaining patients tested positive for Covid.
During the twelve-month period, approximately 2,700 of the patients who were part of the study lost their lives.
Long Covid patients may experience a number of different symptoms, ranging from cough and shortness of breath to fatigue, diarrhea, menstrual issues, new allergies, and more
Researchers found that the mortality rate for patients suffering from severe Covid was significantly higher than those who had mild or non-infected cases.
The likelihood of death in the first twelve months for patients diagnosed with severe Covid was 2.5x higher than that of those not tested positive.
Patients with severe Covid were also more likely to die in 12 months than those who suffered from mild Covid.
Patients aged 65 and older with severe Covid were at greater risk than those who didn’t have the disease.
The patients died 3.3 times more often than Covid-negative patients below 65 years old, and 2.8x as frequently as patients with mild Covid.
However, patients with severe Covid over 65 years were 2.2% more likely to die in 12 months than patients with Covid-negative over 65 and 1.4% less likely to die when compared to seniors living with mild Covid.
The unusual trend of this is because older Covid sufferers are most likely to die from the virus.
The causes of death that are typically linked to Covid include blood clotting and respiratory failure. Only 20% of these deaths were caused by Covid.
Researchers concluded that Covid could cause long-term, possibly fatal symptoms.
Mainous explained, “Since it is now known that there is an increased risk of dying due to what would likely not be considered a unrecognized Complication of Covid,”
He continued, “Taking chances and hoping to be successful in hospital treatment doesn’t show the true impact of Covid.”
“Our recommendation is that you use preventive measures such as vaccinations to avoid severe cases of Covid.
Many studies show that vaccines reduce the risk of serious Covid symptoms and hospitalization, as well as long-term Covid.
