long Covid symptoms, including difficulty swallowing, fatigue, chest pain, and palpitations, as compared to men. The researchers from the University of Parma, and University-Hospital of Parma, Italy, enrolled 223 patients (89 women and 134 men) who were infected by SARS-CoV-2.
They found that 91% of patients, who were followed up for five months on average, continued to experience Covid-19 symptoms.
Breathlessness was the most common symptom of long Covid-19, followed by fatigue. But through it all, females suffered more than males.
It was observed that women were more likely to report dyspnea, weakness, thoracic pain, palpitations, and sleep disturbance but not myalgia and cough. "Sex was found to be an important determinant of Long-Covid-19 syndrome because it is a significant predictor of persistent symptoms in women, such as dyspnea, fatigue, chest pain, and palpitations," the researchers said. "Our results suggest the need for long-term follow-up of these patients from a sex perspective to implement early preventive and personalised therapeutic strategies," they added.