COVID-19’s lingering symptoms are not harsher than influenza, say researchers

Clinical specialists said that aftereffects of COVID-19 is not harsher than influenza. “COVID-19 may leave complications such as cardiovascular and nervous diseases. But common flu viruses also have complications in vessels and nerves,” said Oh Myeong-don, chief of the central clinical committee, at a meeting held by the National Medical Center on Tuesday. “But the lingering symptoms of COVID-19 don’t seem to be more severe than influenza.” 　

The committee chief cited a research study that compared COVID-19 with the cytokine storm syndrome caused by influenza as a ground for his opinion. According to “Science Advances” published on November 13 by a research team led by Assistant Professor Philip Mudd of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, seven out of 168 COVID-19 patients suffered the syndrome, which accounts for some 4.2 percent.

“The syndrome was a lot more common in influenza patients,” said the research team. “COVID-19 is wrongly known to have higher preval‎ence of the cytokine storm syndrome, but it seems that the number is overstated by the gaps in demographics.” Cytokine storm is a phenomenon in which the immune system becomes overactive to fight against viruses infiltrated from outside and attacks normal cells.


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