It’s not just long Covid: Symptoms can linger after other illnesses, leading to ‘long colds’

The coronavirus isn’t the only pathogen that can cause symptoms that last months, or even years, after an initial infection is overcome, a new study published Friday in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine suggests.

In an analysis of data from 10,171 U.K. adults, the researchers found evidence of a “long cold” syndrome that can follow infection with a variety of common respiratory viruses, including common cold viruses and influenza.

While some of the symptoms of long Covid and long colds overlapped, the study noted that people with long Covid were more likely to continue to experience lightheadedness, dizziness and problems with taste and smell; lingering long cold symptoms were more likely to include coughing, stomach pain and diarrhea.

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