Flu with health damage for years?

New one Research from the University of Washington School of Medicine And based on US Veterans Affairs Health Care System indicates that People who are hospitalized with seasonal influenza can also experience long-term negative health effects Especially in the lungs and airways, as they publish in the magazine Lancet Infectious Diseases .

The new study that Compare the viruses that cause COVID-19 and influenza It also revealed that in the 18 months following infection, patients who were hospitalized for either Covid-19 or seasonal influenza had symptoms. Increased risk of death, readmission to hospital, and health problems in multiple organ systems . Also, the time of greatest risk was 30 days or more after initial infection.

“The study demonstrates a high rate of mortality and loss of health after hospitalization due to Covid-19 or seasonal influenza,” said Dr. Ziad Al-Ali, lead author and clinical epidemiologist at the University of Washington. “It is important to note that the health risks were greatest after the first 30 days of infection. Many people think they have overcome COVID-19 or the flu after they are discharged from the hospital. This may be true for some people, but our research shows that both viruses can They cause long-term illness.

The statistical analysis extended up to 18 months after injury and included a comparative assessment of the risks of death, hospitalization and 94 adverse health outcomes related to the body’s major organ systems.

“The review of previous studies of COVID-19 versus influenza focused on a limited, short-term set of health outcomes,” says Al-Ali, who treats patients at the VA St. Louis Healthcare System and is an assistant professor of medicine. At the University of Washington–our new approach compared the long-term health effects of a wide range of conditions…Five years ago, it would have never occurred to me to examine the possibility of prolonged influenza infection.’

He continues: “One important lesson we learned from SARS-CoV-2 is that infections that were initially thought to cause only short-term illness can also lead to chronic disease. This revelation has motivated us to study long-term outcomes in the long term.” Covid-19 before influenza.”