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Four years after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers continue the quest to discover the causes of long COVID and develop treatments. Nearly one in four adults who contracted COVID-19 developed long COVID symptoms, according to the latest data from the Census Bureau.
Anyone infected with COVID-19 can develop long COVID, but the condition is more common in people who have had severe COVID-19 symptoms, as well as women, older adults, people with underlying health problems, and people who have not been vaccinated. according to the Washington State Department of Health. People who get COVID-19 multiple times may also have more health risks, including long COVID.
An analysis of Census Bureau data shows the rate of adults experiencing COVID-19 symptoms for three months or longer. These states had the highest rates of reported long COVID symptoms:
Which states have the highest rates of long COVID?
Long COVID refers to the condition where symptoms that arise after recovering from COVID-19 persist for weeks, months, or even years.
According to Census Bureau data, Oklahoma and Montana have the highest percentages of adults who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have experienced symptoms that lasted more than three months. About 34% of adults in both states reported long COVID symptoms in November.
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Residents of Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama have the lowest booster vaccination rates in the country, at 6.8%, 7.7% and 7.7%, respectively. At least a quarter of adults in these states reported having long COVID symptoms after being infected.
Vaccines and long COVID
In May 2023, about 70% of the US population received their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. But only 17% of the population has an updated booster vaccine, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Most Americans received their last vaccine more than a year ago, which means that when they get COVID-19, the immunity they gained will have faded. They won’t get as sick as a person who has never been vaccinated or exposed to the virus, but they will get sicker than if they had received a recent vaccine, experts say.
Immune protection generally wanes over time, which is why people can catch colds year after year. Additionally, most viruses, like the one that causes COVID-19, mutate over time, so the body is not exactly prepared for the one that arrives a year after an infection or injection.
The current COVID-19 vaccine does not prevent all infections. But a vaccine almost certainly reduces the severity of the disease, experts say. along with the risk of long COVIDin which symptoms persist for months or years after the initial infection clears.
What are long COVID symptoms?
in a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers identified the most distinctive symptoms of long COVID, including: fatigue, especially after exercise; brain fog; dizziness; gastrointestinal symptoms; Heart palpitations; problems with sexual desire or ability; loss of smell or taste; thirst; chronic cough; chest pain; and abnormal movements.
Long COVID Study:Study identifies symptoms that distinguish long COVID
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Karen Weintraub contributed to this report.