New research from Stanford University suggests Long COVID may have affected fewer people, and for a shorter time, than earlier studies indicated, SBS News reports.
The team reviewed 4.4 billion health insurance records covering more than 244 million Americans. They argue that previous studies compared people who tested positive with people never tested, even though those who test more often also tend to have more recorded health problems. Using a revised design, they found 98 per cent fewer outcomes attributable to Long COVID four to 12 months after infection.
The researchers say people wrongly thought to have the condition may still have had serious symptoms from other illnesses. With no clinical test for Long COVID, its spread is hard to measure. The Australian government had estimated more than 1.3 million cumulative cases nationally by the end of 2023.
Source: SBS News
