Fatigue, Penile Shrinkage, Menstrual Irregularities, and Heightened Sense of Smell Among Various Symptoms
[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Jinsoo Lee] More than 200 types of long-term aftereffects have been identified following COVID-19 infection.
Researchers at University College London (UCL), a research-focused comprehensive university in the UK, recently revealed this and warned that COVID-19 affects 10 organ systems including the brain, lungs, and skin.
COVID-19 aftereffects vary widely, ranging from reproductive symptoms such as penile shortening and menstrual irregularities to heightened sense of smell. Among these, the most common aftereffect is fatigue. 98.3% of infected individuals reported experiencing fatigue.
89% complained of general weakness after minor physical or mental activity, and 85.1% were troubled by cognitive dysfunction. The three most common symptoms affecting daily life are fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive impairment. Visual hallucinations, body tremors, palpitations, and memory loss also occur.
Other issues include sexual dysfunction, skin itching, changes in menstrual cycles, urinary incontinence, shingles, diarrhea, and tinnitus. In rarer cases, early menopause, penile size reduction, inability to yawn, inability to cry, sensations like the brain being on fire, and aggression have been reported.
Aftereffects typically last about two weeks but can persist for several months. According to the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), one in seven COVID-19 positive individuals experienced aftereffects lasting 12 weeks.
Dr. Assiner Akrami, a neurologist at the Sainsbury Wellcome Centre affiliated with UCL, who led this study, pointed out, "Many hospitals focus on respiratory rehabilitation for infected patients, but a holistic approach should also provide treatments for other problems and symptoms," adding, "Systematic research on this matter is still lacking."
This survey was conducted online with 3,400 COVID-19 positive or suspected individuals from 56 countries. As a result, a total of 203 symptoms were identified across 10 human organ systems. The findings were recently published in EClinicalMedicine, an online open clinical journal of The Lancet.
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