It’s time to end the derision – long colds not linked to Covid are real, according to scientists
Most of us have probably had the odd cold or bout of flu that seemed to go on forever. Now scientists have confirmed that “long colds” really are a thing.
They found that people can suffer symptoms such as a hoarse voice and persistent coughing months after an ordinary, non-Covid, respiratory infection – such as common cold, flu or pneumonia, according to a new study.
Long Covid has been one of the enduring problems caused by the pandemic, with well over one million estimated sufferers in the UK. It has put the spotlight on other lingering symptoms relating to viruses.
The concept of post-viral illness is well established, with many cases of ME, or chronic fatigue syndrome, thought to be triggered by another virus. And more serious infections, such as glandular fever, are well known to last for some time.
However, this is the first time it has been comprehensively demonstrated that people without underlying respiratory problems can get long term symptoms from “a straight forward respiratory infection”.
Professor Adrian Martineau, of Queen Mary University of London, said that, to his knowledge, this is the first time the term “long cold” has been used to describe this condition.
“I want to make people aware that if they do feel washed out for a long time after having an infection that wasn’t Covid, that it’s a thing. It’s not just in their head. We’ve got objective evidence that this is really happening to people and we need to find out more about it,” he told i.
“I was surprised by these findings because I’d assumed that with non-Covid infections people in general pretty much consistently tended to recover. But from this work I’ve learned that these non-Covid infections aren’t all as benign and self-limiting [without longer term symptoms] as I’d previously appreciated.
Professor Martineau, who is clinical professor of respiratory infection and immunity at the hospital, added: “There’s long been an awareness, particularly from the days of the Spanish flu, that a respiratory infection could have long terms systemic effects on systems other than the lungs.
“But it was really Covid that kicked off a much greater awareness of these long term syndromes, and to my knowledge it’s the first time that these have been rigorously described for respiratory infections other than Covid.”
Some of the most common symptoms of “long cold”’ ” include coughing, stomach pain, and diarrhoea more than four weeks after the initial infection, according to a new study published in The Lancet’s EClinicalMedicine journal.
While the severity of an illness appears to be a key driver of risk of long-term symptoms, more research is being carried out to establish why some people suffer extended symptoms and others do not.
The researchers don’t yet know whether long colds are as serious or long-lasting as long Covid, which typically lasts at least three months and can often go on for a year, two years or even longer.
They compared the prevalence and severity of long-term symptoms after Covid to another acute respiratory infection that tested negative for Covid.
They found that those recovering from Covid were more likely to experience light-headedness or dizziness and problems with taste and smell.
The study was welcomed by scientists not involved in the research.
Professor Peter Openshaw, of Imperial College London, said: “The study is important in showing that recovery from ARI [acute respiratory infection] may be slow regardless of cause, that people should expect a slow return to normality and not expect to immediately return to full activities immediately after an ARI from whatever cause.”
Professor Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, said: “The study highlights the neglected area of the long-term effects of non-Covid acute respiratory infections and compares these with long Covid.
“These findings help to define the spectrum of conditions experienced by some people after acute infections.”
“The big question is why some folk develop these long-term symptoms and what can be done to prevent or treat these effects. The hope is that we can use this and other studies with defined populations to develop improved diagnostic tests and therapies.”
The study is part of the Covidence UK project, Queen Mary University of London’s national study of Covid. It was launched in 2020 and is still going, with more than 19,000 participants enrolled.
This study analysed data from 10,171 UK adults, with responses collected via questionnaires and statistical analysis carried out to identify symptom clusters.
