TOKYO: Women are more likely than men to suffer from post COVID-19 conditions such as fatigue and taste disorders, a survey by Japan’s National Center for Global Health and Medicine showed on Friday.

Women are about twice as prone to experience fatigue and about three times more likely to have hair loss, the study said.

The survey was conducted with former COVID-19 patients who took part in a study after their recovery between February last year and March this year, with 457 people responding. Questions covered subjects such as aftereffects, often called long COVID, and early symptoms of coronavirus infections.

Compared with men, women are also some 60 percent more likely to have taste disorders and about 90 percent more likely to sustain smell disorders, according to the survey.

Taste and smell disorders tend to be seen among young people or people with slim builds. 

According to the survey, 120 people, or some 26 percent of the total, had post COVID-19 conditions six months after developing coronavirus symptoms, and 40 people, or some 9 percent, had long COVID one year after.

Some of the people who had mild COVID-19 symptoms suffered prolonged aftereffects.

“Men, the elderly and obese people are at higher risk of developing severe symptoms in the early stage of infection, but completely different groups have higher risks of aftereffects such as taste disorders,” said Shinichiro Morioka, head of the center’s international infectious disease response department. “The reasons are not known,” he said.

The most important measure to prevent aftereffects of COVID-19 is not contracting the novel coronavirus, Morioka said, urging people to take precautions such as getting vaccinated and wearing face masks.

JIJI Press