Hair Loss: Possible Long-Term Health Impact for Patients with Severe COVID-19 Infection

Research findings suggested hair loss, as reported by MU Health via the YouTube video below, might become a common long-term health impact for people who had severe COVID-19 infection that required hospital confinement.

This, according to IFLScience, is one thing to learn from the pandemic: That there is the constant discovery of new things on the virus and its linked infection.

The said findings that The Lancet published also suggested that women may be at higher risk of experiencing long-term health consequences.

An earlier finding showed that one in 10 people might have persistent health impacts up to three months from their COVID-19 infection.

Patients with long COVID typically report experiencing symptoms including fatigue, loss of smell and taste, diarrhea, nausea, and muscle and joint pains.

Long COVID Symptoms

This said research validated that some of the commonly reported long COVID symptoms like fatigue and joint pains could be regarded as main long-term health impacts of COVID-19, as their results showed they were still reported six months from people hospitalized with the virus had recovered. And, as earlier mentioned, hair loss, an additional health concern was discovered and revealed.

In this research, over 1600 patients were investigated. They were discharged from the Wuhan, China-based Jin Yin-tan Hospital between January 7 and May 29 last year, after they were treated for COVID-19.

After six months that patients were tested again with blood tests, a physical exercise test comprising a six-minute walk, and a set of questions to evaluate if they had any long-term symptoms after getting infected with COVID-19.

The study findings specified that about 63 percent of patients had said they experienced fatigue or muscle weakness. 27 percent, on the other hand, reported they had sleep difficulties and 22 percent said they were experiencing hair loss for a period of six months since they had COVID-19.

Noticeable Hair Loss

The study authors wrote in their study that at six months from severe infection, COVID-19 survivors were essentially troubled with fatigue or muscle weaknesses, difficulty sleeping, and depression or anxiety.

However, they added, hair loss was also one of the mostly-reported symptoms at six months from infection. It is worthy to note that hair loss is not something new during infections, the researchers specified in their research emphasizing, it may take place for short periods of time following recovery from a regular cold.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, it is normal to experience temporary hair loss after suffering from fever or illness.

Fever, the AAD also said, is a common COVID-19 system. A couple of months from having a high fever or recovering from an illness, a lot of people are seeing noticeable hair loss.

Hair Loss Possible to Continue for Up to 9 Months

The AAD explained too, that losing hair after COVID-19 infection could continue up to nine months and that could even worsen because of stress, which is prevalent in this time of pandemic with all the social, health and economic challenges it presents.

Experts claimed, hair should go back to normal on its own over time, although if one is quite worried and concerned, it is best to consult the doctor or a dermatologist.

Check out more news and information on COVID-19 on Science Times.