Women are particularly affected, with a 31% higher risk than men of developing long Covid, and reaching 42% in women aged 40 to 55, according to another study published in JAMA Network Open.
The increased risk of long Covid depends on age, pregnancy and menopause
Because just like other diseases – fibromyalgia or post-viral chronic fatigue syndrome – long Covid has a female predominance, conclude other work published in the JAMA Network Open by the international RECOVER consortium. The researchers who are part of it study the healing process of Covid-19 and the evolution of long Covid.
While men are more likely to die during infection, it is women whose risk of suffering from the long form of the disease is increased by 31%, concludes this new work. The excess risk compared to men was even 48% for 40-54 year-olds, and 34% for those over 55. On the other hand, adult women under 40 did not show a greater risk of developing long Covid than men.
In addition to age, the results varied depending on pregnancy and menopause. When pregnant women are not taken into account, the excess risk increases, which suggests – to some extent – a protective effect. A very relative protection, according to a recent study showing that once infected with the Covid-19 virus, one in ten pregnant women developed its long form.
Read alsoLong Covid: women are more affected than men
A potential role for sex hormones
“ Sex hormones are known to modulate immune responses", and could therefore influence " Susceptibility to and recovery from Covid-19", the researchers suggest. It remains to be seen " unraveling the role of aging, hormones, inflammatory response and comorbidities " in these differences in susceptibility to long Covid and to " identify groups that may benefit from specific treatments". In conclusion, the researchers believe that: " For example, sex steroid therapies could be proposed to alleviate symptoms of long Covid in women, as has already been suggested for acute Covid-19 in men.“.