Report: Nearly 25% of Iowans with COVID had "long-haul" symptoms
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Nearly a quarter of Iowans who tested positive for COVID-19 in 2022 said they endured "long haul" symptoms lasting three or more months, according to a 2023 report from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.
Why it matters: Long COVID can be debilitating to patients' daily lives and mental health.
- Many struggling patients say it feels like "an invisible illness," says Lauren Graham of the University of Iowa's post-COVID-19 clinic, the state's only medical facility dedicated to long COVID.
State of play: It's still unclear why women are more likely to experience long-haul symptoms (27%) than men (19%), but Graham tells Axios she sees healthy women in their 30s and 40s especially struggling with symptoms. That could mean it's hormone related.
- Lower-income Iowans (32%) and those without health insurance (23%) are also more likely to endure long symptoms because their jobs don't offer flexibility, resulting in longer recovery.
Zoom in: While serious cases and hospitalizations have decreased, "unfortunately" not much has changed for long COVID's frequency, Graham says.
- The most common effects are fatigue (24%), shortness of breath (20%) and loss of taste and smell (19%).
- Other symptoms include depression, mood changes, brain fog and muscle pain, per the November report.
Plus, 32% of Iowans with long COVID said they dealt with frequent mental distress compared to 21% of adults.
- The politicization of the virus can be especially hard for some patients and causes them to be silent, Graham says.
What they're saying: Though there isn't any clear way yet of avoiding long symptoms, continuing to work or extending yourself while sick can cause effects to persist.
- "Taking care of yourself while you are ill is the best thing we found so far," Graham says.
The bottom line: Even if recovery feels brutally slow, doctors are witnessing patients improving over time, Graham says.
- The big thing is finding a doctor who recognizes your ailments.
- Even if there isn't a test to prove you're dealing with long COVID, Graham says that doesn't mean your symptoms are not real.