Key points:
- New research shows people may suffer from “long colds” after acute respiratory infections that test negative for COVID-19.
- The most common systems more than 4 weeks after initial infection were coughing, stomach pain and diarrhea.
- The study authors say ongoing research into long-COVID is critical.
A new study from Queen Mary University of London, published in EClinicalMedicine, has found that people may experience long-term symptoms—or “long colds”—after acute respiratory infections that test negative for COVID-19.
Some of the most common symptoms of the long cold include coughing, stomach pain, and diarrhea more than 4 weeks after the initial infection. While the severity of an illness appears to be a key driver of risk of long-term symptoms, more research is being carried out to establish why some people suffer extended symptoms while others do not.
The study analyzed data from 10,171 UK adults, with responses collected via questionnaires and statistical analysis carried out to identify symptom clusters. The results suggest that there may be long-lasting health impacts following non-COVID acute respiratory infections—such as colds, influenza or pneumonia—that are currently going unrecognized. However, the researchers do not yet have evidence suggesting that the symptoms have the same severity or duration as long-COVID.
The research compared the prevalence and severity of long-term symptoms after an episode of COVID-19 vs. an episode of another acute respiratory infection that tested negative for COVID-19. Those recovering from COVID-19 were more likely to experience light-headedness or dizziness and problems with taste and smell compared with those who had a non-COVID-19 respiratory infection.
“Our findings may chime with the experience of people who have struggled with prolonged symptoms after having a respiratory infection despite testing negative for COVID-19 on a nose or throat swab,” said study author Adrian Martineau, clinical professor of respiratory infection and immunity at Queen Mary University of London.
The study is the latest output from COVIDENCE UK, Queen Mary University of London’s national study of COVID-19, launched back in 2020 and still in follow-up, with over 19,000 participants enrolled. While long-COVID is now a recognized condition, there have been few studies comparing long-term symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection vs. other respiratory infections.
“Ongoing research into the long-term effects of COVID-19 and other acute respiratory infections is important because it can help us to get to the root of why some people experience more prolonged symptoms than others,” said Martineau. “Ultimately this could help us to identify the most appropriate form of treatment and care for affected people.”