June 19, 2023 – People with long COVID have fatigue levels worse than those reported by people with some types of cancer or who are recovering from a stroke, according to researchers in England.
The study defined long COVID as symptoms lasting at least 12 weeks, which in addition to fatigue include breathlessness, anxiety, depression, and brain fog.
The findings were published earlier this month in the journal BMJ Open. Researchers examined data from 3,754 people in the United Kingdom who were referred for treatment to specialty COVID-19 clinics. Nearly all of the people were between the ages of 18 and 65, with an average age of 48; 71% were women.
As part of their treatment, the people used a digital health program and entered data into a smartphone app. They reported regularly about their symptoms, quality of life, and ability to function in terms of work and socialization. Data was included for people who started using the app between November 2020 and March 2022.
Half of the people in the study said they had not been able to work at least 1 day in the past month, and 1 in 5 people said they were unable to work at all. The researchers found a strong connection between fatigue and people’s abilities to function socially or go to work.
The latest CDC estimate indicates about 15% of adults in the U.S. have had long COVID. The condition is covered under the Americans With Disabilities Act.
“Long COVID is an invisible condition, and many people are left trying to manage significant changes to how they can function,” said researcher William Henley, PhD, professor of medical statistics at University of Exeter Medical School, in a statement. “Shockingly, our research has revealed that long COVID can leave people with worse fatigue and quality of life than some cancers, yet the support and understanding is not at the same level.”
Henley called for more research to help find ways to support people still dealing with long COVID.