Defyingnoodles

Defyingnoodles t1_j32sjcl wrote

Bingo! Premenopausal women (higher estrogen levels than post menopausal) who are taking hormonal birth control are at much higher risk of clotting events. The study in this post was conducted mainly in Saudi Arabia, where rates of normal birth control usage are much lower than the US. From a quick control F, they didn’t control for birth control. If not controlled for, I imagine the association between female sex and long COVID would be stronger in the US. I don’t think birth control is a confounded though, as women at baseline have higher risk of blood clots.

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Defyingnoodles t1_j3113bx wrote

The most convincing explanation for long COVID syndrome to me is that the hyper coagulable state seen in COVID patients is causing tiny, subclinical blood clots. In the brain, this leads to widespread tiny strokes essentially, causing the symptoms of brain fog and reduced cognitive functioning. Female sex as a risk factor makes sense in this case, as higher estrogen levels are associated with increased risk of clotting.

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Defyingnoodles t1_j310g5c wrote

If you were symptomatic when diagnosed with COVID, or if you were hospitalized when you were sick, you have a higher risk of suffering from long COVID syndrome.

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