Long COVID is affecting women more than men: U.S. survey

A woman wearing a face mask is seen at L.A. Union Station in Los Angeles, California, the United States, on Aug. 5, 2022. (Xinhua)

Some 2.4 percent of all women had symptoms that significantly limited their normal activities, compared with 1.3 percent of men.

NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- More than 17 percent of women have had long COVID at some point during the pandemic, compared with 11 percent of men, CNBC on Monday cited data from U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for Health Statistics published in October.

Long COVID was defined as experiencing symptoms for three months or more after infection. The most recent data was collected through an online survey of more than 41,000 adults during the two weeks ending Oct. 17, according to the report.

Women were also more likely to suffer from more severe long COVID, the survey found. Some 2.4 percent of all women had symptoms that significantly limited their normal activities, compared with 1.3 percent of men, said the data.

Overall, more than 14 percent of U.S. adults had long COVID at some point during the pandemic, the survey found. Seven percent of U.S. adults currently have long COVID, according to the data.

If those figures held true for the general population, 36 million adults could have had long COVID at some point during the pandemic, while 18 million could currently be dealing with it, noted the report.