2023-12-17 15:00:00
We knew about long Covid, there would now be long flu. In any case, this is what researchers from theWashington University in St. Louis. In their work, published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseasesthey show that patients hospitalized for severe forms of seasonal flu can also suffer from long-term symptoms.
Long-term symptoms of the flu
In their study, the scientists compared the symptoms (precisely 94 side effects), the risk of death and readmission to hospital in the long term, that is to say 18 months after infection, of hospitalized patients due to Covid-19 or flu. To do this, they analyzed the medical records of 81,280 patients hospitalized for Covid-19 between March 2020 and June 2022 and 10,985 patients hospitalized for seasonal flu between October 2015 and February 2019.
So, they observed that there were risks to both of these in the long run. Patients could, several weeks after infection, suffer from symptoms and had a significant risk of death and readmission to hospital. The time when these risks were greatest, for these two infections, was 30 days or more after the initial infection.
“It is essential to note that health risks are highest after the first 30 days of infection,” explains Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, MD, lead author of the study, in a communiqué. Many people think they have recovered from Covid-19 or the flu after leaving the hospital. Our research shows that both viruses can cause long-term illness.”
More serious symptoms with Covid-19
Certain risks were greater in patients who had Covid-19. Over the 18-month study period, patients with Covid-19 had a 50% higher risk of death than those with seasonal flu. In addition, the scientists observed that these patients could be affected by 64 of the 94 side effects, or 68% compared to only 6% for participants with long-term flu, who were more concerned by consequences on the pulmonary system.
Finally, over the eighteen-month period studied by the scientists, patients with Covid-19 had a higher rate of hospital readmission as well as admission to the intensive care unit. Thus, researchers are calling for long-term flu to be recognized at the same level as long-term Covid.
“We should therefore not think that Covid-19 and the flu are only acute illnesses and neglect their long-term effects,” concludes Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly. Many patients end up with serious health problems. We must become aware of this reality, stop trivializing viral infections and understand that they are also causes of chronic diseases.”
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