Around two million people are reported to live with long covid in the UK, suffering with symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog and a cough. 

But scientists have discovered women are up to a third more likely to be hit with long covid than men. 

Researchers based in Texas used data from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of more than 12,200 participants who'd previously had covid from across the US and Puerto Rico all over the age of 18. 

Subjects were asked to complete a survey detailing their symptoms every three months for four years, followed by an in-person physical exam.

The poll asked about the experience of symptoms associated with long covid, including feeling fatigued, experiencing brain fog, dizziness, palpitations, loss of or change in smell or taste, thirst, chronic cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, and snoring or sleep apnea.

Researchers looked for patterns in the data that may suggest certain age groups of sexes are more likely to suffer the condition — estimated to affect about 2million people in England.




Scientists have discovered women are more likely to be hit with long covid than men





The Leicester University study found four in five 'long Covid' patients were still suffering symptoms five months after they were discharged from hospital. These included breathlessness, slowed thinking and muscle pains

Researchers controlled for other factors that may result in long covid symptoms, such as pregnancy and the menopause. 

The scientists found that the highest risk of the condition was among females aged 40 to 55 years. 

Overall, being a woman was associated with a 31 per cent increased risk of long covid.

Researchers suggested several explanations for this increased risk; one being the impact of the menopause on the immune system, which causes the body's fighter cells to overreact.



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Female sex hormones also decrease with age; and both higher levels of oestrogen and relatively lower levels of testosterone have been associated with high risk of long  in women.

Study authors said more research is needed to identify why the female sex hiep dam is a risk factor, and what changes can be made to improve the management of long covid and the development of any targeted drug. 

Previous research by experts at the University of Leicester in 2021, quizzed 1,077 people with long covid found two in five had reduced their workload or were off sick because of their persistent symptoms.

They also found evidence of organ damage in sufferers, and that those who required mechanical ventilation took longer to recover from long Covid.

Separate data from Glasgow University, also from 2021 , further highlighted the plight of long Covid victims, saying women under-50 were worst affected.

US officials suggest one in ten people who catch the virus will develop the condition. While in the UK the two million people in the UK are reported to live with long Covid, includes 112,000 children. 

Extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, dizziness, brain fog, joint pain and muscle aches are all tell-tale signs of the condition.


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