“Long Covid,” a term coined for negative, prolonged health impacts experienced after contracting Covid-19, is currently not as common or threatening as it was once, according to The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, state reports show the community level of the Covid-19 virus has remained low in the Charleston area, and 13 people died statewide from Covid in the week ending March 18.
The Washington Post and its research partners recently published the largest study to date analyzing who is most vulnerable to persistent sickness after contracting Covid-19.
Among the 5 million Covid-19 infected patients polled in the study, 8.3% of people who got Covid during the first wave of the virus, between winter 2020 and spring 2021, received treatment for long Covid symptoms. In comparison, 6.2% of people exposed to the Omicron variant (the predominant variant in the U.S. by December 2021) experienced long Covid symptoms and sought out medical treatment within several months of infection.
The study revealed Americans with preexisting medical conditions are twice as likely to report long Covid symptoms and pursue treatment within six months of contracting the virus than Americans without prior health problems.
Doctors still do not have a clear explanation of why long Covid is less common now, according to The Washington Post.
Latest COVID-19 data
State health officials encourage residents to refer to the CDC’s community levels map to track the severity of Covid-19. As of March 21, Charleston County’s community level has remained low in line with the previous reporting period.
For the week ending March 18, Covid-related hospitalizations in Charleston increased 3% in comparison to the week ending March 11. For the week ending March 18, state officials reported 13 people died from Covid-19 — 5 fewer deaths than the previous week. In this period, 1,892 new cases were reported — 18 more than the previous reporting period.
SCDHEC transitioned to weekly reporting of new Covid data in December 2022. The most recent numbers were reported Tuesday and covered March 12-18. In other data:
- Percentage of S.C. residents age 12+ with at least one vaccine: 69.6%
- Percentage of S.C. residents age 12+ who have completed vaccination: 60.7%
- Percentage of S.C. residents age 5-11 with at least one vaccine: 23.6%
- Percentage of S.C. residents age 5-11 who have completed vaccination: 19.6%
For more information, visit the S.C. SCDHEC COVID-19 dashboard.
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