These Groups Are at Higher Risk of Developing Long COVID-19

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  • Long COVID-19 is thought to occur in 5 percent of nonhospitalized people diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • It may occur in up to 80 percent of hospitalized coronavirus patients.
  • A new study finds that the people most likely to develop long COVID-19 include women, people 40 and older, Black individuals, and people with preexisting health conditions.

A new analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that people most at risk of long COVID-19 include people over 40, women, Black people, and individuals with underlying health conditions.

Long COVID, also referred to as post-acute sequelae of COVID-19, is thought to occur in 5 percent of nonhospitalized people diagnosed with COVID-19 and up to 80 percent of hospitalized coronavirus patients.

Researchers suspect various structural and socioeconomic barriers in the U.S. healthcare system may contribute to certain groups’ higher rates of long COVID.

By learning more about who is impacted the most by long COVID, researchers hope better prevention and treatment strategies can be developed for the at-risk populations.

“Identifying disparities in post-acute COVID-19 sequelae can help guide the allocation of public health resources and improve health equity while groups recover from the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the study states.

Source: healthline