United States: Iron deficiency is the primary factor in causing difficulties for those recovering from COVID-19 for a long time, which is also commonly referred to as long COVID.
A recently held study by the University of Cambridge, published in Nature Immunology, revealed that the decreased level has posed a major role in post-COVID symptoms.
Know more about the findings of the study
According to the suggested findings, defiviency of Iron leads to excessive inflammation and anemia, that disrupts the development of healthy red blood cells after one is contracted with COVID-19.
The co-author Hal Drakesmith said, “When the body has an infection, it responds by removing iron from the bloodstream. This protects us from potentially lethal bacteria that capture the iron in the bloodstream and grow rapidly,” as the New York Post reported.
He added further, “It’s an evolutionary response that redistributes iron in the body, and the blood plasma becomes an iron desert.”
Know more about the deficiency of Iron linked with COVID-19
A direct correlation between decreasing levels of Iron and increasing health complications is exhibited clearly just within two weeks after diagnosis.
At later stages, several patients start experiencing regular and continuous long COVID conditions, which is a syndrome now associated with cognitive decline, which includes a considerable amount of reduction in IQ caused by brain fog.
The Researcher, Dr. Aimee Hanson, said, “Although we saw evidence that the body was trying to rectify low iron availability and the resulting anemia by producing more red blood cells, it was not doing a particularly good job of it in the face of ongoing inflammation,” The Washington Times reported.
Reflection of anemic deficiency with long COVID by other reports
As per the estimates from the University of Cambridge, about 30 percent of those infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus are likely to be susceptible to long COVID.
The data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reflect about 3 million Americans need special attention to fulfill the iron deficiency yearly.
Mr. Drakesmith, one of the lead researchers, stressed the grave nature of the continuous iron deficiency.
He said, “When this happens over a long duration, the lack of iron results in oxygen being ‘less efficiently’ transported throughout the body,” as the Washington Times reported.
Moreover, “The consequences are profound, influencing not just the oxygen flow but also critically impacting metabolism and energy levels.”