Younger and middle-aged individuals are more likely to suffer worse long COVID symptoms than those 65 and older, according to a recent report from researchers at Northwestern Medicine. [Health News Illinois]

The report, published in Annals of Neurology, showed that 71 percent of post-hospitalization long COVID cases were in adults between 18 and 64.

Nearly 91 percent of non-hospitalization long COVID cases were in that age group too.

Symptoms included headache, numbness and tingling, problems with smell and taste, blurred vision, depression, anxiety, insomnia, fatigue and a decrease in cognitive function.

The report looked at the first 1,300 patients at the Northwestern Medicine Neuro COVID-19 Clinic with neurologic long COVID symptoms between May 2020 and March 2023. Of those, 200 had been previously hospitalized for severe COVID-19 pneumonia. The rest had mild initial COVID-19 symptoms and never needed hospitalization.

Dr. Igor Koralnik, the co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center, said the findings highlight how long COVID has “significantly” contributed to the global growth of disability and disease.

“Long COVID is causing an alteration in patients’ quality of life,” he said in a statement. “Despite vaccinations and boosters, about 30 percent of COVID patients develop some long COVID symptoms.”

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