Long COVID, the medical mystery that continues to boggle the minds of scientists and medical researchers, comes with an intensive list of symptoms. But a latest study narrowed down the 47 reported symptoms to simply seven. 

Published within the journal Open Forum Infectious Disease, the study by the University of Missouri researchers suggested that long COVID victims are at risk of developing only seven health symptoms, fewer than the previously reported common symptoms of the condition. 

Based on the team, a greater understanding of the long-term effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection was needed amid the continuing pandemic. So that they analyzed a big and diverse patient cohort to shorten the list of symptoms related to long COVID. 

After examining data from 17,487 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 in 112 healthcare facilities within the U.S. before April 14, 2022, the researchers picked up 47 of probably the most commonly reported health problems with the patients. They then examined for any comparisons on the reported symptoms. 

After looking into their data, the team listed the next because the seven commonest symptoms of long COVID: palpitations, fatigue, hair loss, joint pain, chest pain, dyspnea and obesity. 

“Despite an awesome variety of long COVID symptoms previously reported by other studies, we only found a couple of symptoms specifically related to an infection from SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Before we examined the information, I assumed we’d find an ample amount of the symptoms to be specifically related to long COVID, but that wasn’t the case,” corresponding writer Chi-Ren Shyu, the director of the MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, said in a news release. 

“Now, researchers will give you the chance to raised understand how SARS-CoV-2 may mutate or evolve by creating latest connections that we may not have known about before. Going forward we are able to use electronic medical records to quickly detect subgroups of patients who could have these long-term health conditions,” Shyu added. 

The researchers hope their findings could help healthcare providers with what they need to ask and search for when attending to patients who seemingly have developed long COVID. In addition they said the outcomes could function a basis for future research on the lingering condition. 

Earlier this month, a special study published within the BMJ sparked hope for long COVID victims after discovering that almost all long COVID symptoms that develop after a gentle infection and linger for several months eventually go away inside a 12 months.