Experts say that thousands of women who claim they have ‘long Covid” may be experiencing menopause.

  • Long Covid is a un-described condition that can include a variety of symptoms.
  • Experts agree that many of its warning signs are’significantly overlapped’ with menopause.
  • Figures show that women aged 50-69 are more likely to have long Covid.
  • Menopause usually occurs between the ages 45 and 55. 










Experts believe that thousands of women who were told they had ‘long Covid’ may actually be suffering from the menopause.

Long Covid refers to a variety of persistent symptoms that can persist for months after a person has been cured.

Survivors have reported persistent fatigue, sleep problems, and brain fog among many other warning signs.

But researchers at the universities of Manchester and Warwick believe some of the hallmark long Covid symptoms in women could be down to ‘the change’.

These academics claimed that there was a’significant overlap’ with the menopause in a post-comment piece. 

Long Covid is an un-defined condition including a whole suite of symptoms. But experts say many of its warning signs 'overlap' with the menopause (stock image)

Long Covid is a condition that is not well-defined and can present with a variety of symptoms. Experts say that many of the warning signs are ‘overlapped’ with the menopause (stock photo).

The piece in The Lancet Regional Health, Europe was written by Dr Stuart Stewart, a population health expert at Manchester University. 

Dr Louise Newson (a National Institute for Health Research specialist in menopause) and Professor Lawrence Young (a Warwick Medical School virologist) were the co-authors.

The opinion piece was not based upon a new study. 

What are the long-term effects and symptoms of Covid 

Most coronavirus patients will feel better within two weeks. They may still experience symptoms such as a fever, cough, or loss of taste or smell.

However, evidence is beginning to show that the tell-tale symptoms of the virus can persist for weeks on end in ‘long haulers’ — the term for patients plagued by lasting complications.

Long-term symptoms include: 

  • Chronic fatigue 
  • Breathlessness 
  • Heart rate raised 
  • Delusions 
  • Strokes 
  • Insomnia 
  • Loss of taste/smell 
  • Kidney disease 
  • Mobility issues 
  • Headaches 
  • Muscle pains
  • Fevers

The academics wrote that long Covid symptoms often overlap with perimenopause or menopause, which both affect women of all ages.

This may lead to confusion in diagnosing. Clinicians should assess for this additional diagnosis. It offers the opportunity to treat menopause symptoms and perimenopause symptoms with safe, effective hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

“Failing to recognize this overlap misses an opportunity for treatment of many debilitating symptoms that affect both mental and physical health.

“[And] also to reduce some women’s risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity and possible dementia — all of which increase after the menopause.

“Furthermore, it could lead to women experiencing symptoms of the menopause or perimenopause being misdiagnosed by long Covid.

Long Covid treatment focuses on helping patients who have been cured to manage their symptoms with rehabilitation.

This can help to’manage” lingering symptoms of HIV, according to the NHS. 

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help ease menopausal symptoms like night sweats or mood swings.

The treatment is often given in pills, gels, and creams. It boosts hormones like oestrogen that naturally deplete over time.  

According to official figures, long Covid is a condition that affects approximately 1.1 million people in the UK. The most vulnerable are women and those between 50 and 69 years of age.

Experts say that many studies have exaggerated the severity of the problem. 

Long Covid is when someone experiences symptoms of the virus for longer than 12 weeks after being treated.

Patients who believe they are suffering from the condition may seek advice from their GP who may refer them for specialist services.

Most women in the UK experience menopause around the age of 51, but only 1 in 100 women experience it before the age of 40. 

A December 2013 paper from King’s College London suggested there might be a link in the menopause to Covid.

Its findings suggested that post-menopausal women — who had lower oestrogen levels — were at a higher risk of catching the virus.

Researchers suggested that the decrease in female sex hormone levels may have made them less resistant to the disease. This should be investigated.

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