Elevated White Blood Cells Linked to Severe Long COVID in Postmenopausal Women

[{"selector":"#anim-454dfc93-677f-40af-84ce-e526b1e03b98","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-61fbabbd-5202-4722-aa1f-d3ee58796906","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.18988%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":500,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-340ce6df-4033-4f79-a761-ab0f225ff9c1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e28b6adf-092b-421d-bdd1-28541e18f58e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.3301%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":800,"duration":500,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Elevated White Blood Cells Linked to Severe Long COVID in Postmenopausal Women Tejal Somvanshi

Latest research shows an increased risk of severe COVID symptoms in menopausal women. The higher the white blood cells, higher the risk of COVID symptoms.

[{"selector":"#anim-e19a7ce9-fe63-45e8-b91c-5d8b3e9a2c99","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-865b6558-ebfa-4f5f-a795-d99c5d36468c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.50632%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e730126c-e7bd-4b73-a284-9227443ed78b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-63838138-1e05-4581-9e1b-5fd5aa6d4235","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-684f898e-1582-457c-9dd4-2296ab1782ca","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: UN Women Asia and the Pacific (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Scientists checked blood markers from 25 years before COVID-19 hit. This means inflammation in the body might affect how bad long COVID gets even before someone catches the virus.

[{"selector":"#anim-bb43f4e0-3e97-4bb2-9b74-3568d5597c97","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-03588dfe-0a03-4930-8b22-6686064ac416","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 139.34928%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a004ffde-161b-45e8-ac02-4ef190366ca9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-663d18cb-be84-4e2b-b979-aac3110d0832","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -111.1955%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e6e44d9c-c737-4f5d-ac19-2b431f71b912","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: IAEA Imagebank (CC BY 2.0)

A higher white blood cell count (over 5,500 cells per microliter) was linked to more severe long COVID symptoms

[{"selector":"#anim-98e3f135-a282-4d98-a325-41b762119f0f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-549fb0ca-399c-4ac6-bb30-227d8c0899dd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.58885%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e6330cf3-c9d6-4d85-b50a-3b380a61ec5b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e88896e-8d88-4f7e-bfbc-8645d4eab376","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.60759%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7d3dd29c-2214-4b95-ac7b-79908096b761","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Credits: Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Women after menopause are affected the most, 7 out of 10 long COVID patients struggle to think clearly.

[{"selector":"#anim-54107765-9973-4aa1-8ddb-4c02db1ccb5c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-288d2b98-4b84-4417-9743-2397a08719e2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 249.72502%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45350ca1-430e-4402-82ec-23688d394ae7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f4af070-f916-45be-9b24-d01956736cc1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-279c8ecd-ef4d-43a7-8586-437dd2875617","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Credits: Mismiba Tinashe Madando (CC0 1.0)

The white blood cell test is accessible, and could help doctors identify patients who need extra support after the COVID infection.

[{"selector":"#anim-98238e95-8acd-44cf-b294-8f9e14383d0a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-89b7c69a-228b-436f-955d-1ddb1a345773","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e70f01e3-d0f5-4d33-a898-e002f06c1e59","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-18a23835-30c6-4fc9-b56c-cdda5367cd2d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1cd27557-e43f-4470-8727-b5ca1ad6ec15","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Credits: Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The research suggests that inflammation patterns present before COVID infection might influence symptom severity late.

[{"selector":"#anim-e0f97209-73c6-4ce9-8a28-fa31398a0772","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-180b3d56-ce63-4007-bfe8-b0072e4647c2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 195.52108%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-421be256-1915-4395-b69f-8ad91f42b51d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-706905cc-62dd-4913-9089-4e075533c1fe","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d9c7838a-117c-40b6-ad3c-f69d24582648","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: NIAID (CC BY 2.0)

The research team at Rush University Medical Center, proved that inflammation isn't just a result of long COVID - it might set the stage for worse symptoms before infection happens.

[{"selector":"#anim-2430fa9e-99e7-4f2b-b653-f01bf3f944dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2b3019ce-f456-4a5b-9d81-4eca03d96152","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f540b5fa-5911-4b55-880d-2ee7c6ae7c54","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2eed34d5-6ef2-45dc-a722-e1337c90668d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-60f4cd73-825c-43e9-b7e5-e683781ed37e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Credits: Nathan Hicks (CC BY 3.0)

The study didn't find any link between another inflammation signal and long COVID. Therefore white blood cell connection requires special attention.

[{"selector":"#anim-fbf47545-65fd-4833-8f10-627d0f8ab939","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-da082c1e-05c7-4b19-a1f3-772701792578","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 163.36915%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d91cfa9-9e9e-4c4b-9ee4-9e213a928eec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-66f1026d-ba2e-4193-8e1c-78d1214d9447","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -114.48664%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05167dd7-a5bc-4a3e-a863-efa98458cfef","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Credits: Dr. Graham Beards(CC BY-SA 3.0)

Higher white blood cell count doesn't necessarily guarantee severe symptoms, it helps identify the information for healthcare monitoring and support planning.

[{"selector":"#anim-40839818-2d95-4862-8e0c-fae1b64bfc3e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0fd00de8-c0d3-4c50-b3cb-03509158c22b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 116.02864%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-40c76fb5-7dee-4a0e-befa-213e1d8d5c87","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7c21bd9-5056-4761-8fc2-2ba0b83e0d0b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.18987%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":300,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c98386aa-3c10-4e57-bb2d-bda0d1efe188","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1400,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Photo Source: Intel Free Press (CC BY-SA 2.0)

[{"selector":"#anim-1471beb2-66da-4b16-98a6-5489bbdf4715","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0dd1ad28-77fa-402f-93a6-124e4633ddf8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-febd3eb2-c797-4a50-b817-487d14e7b9a0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.50152%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":200,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7915fb6f-e34b-44fd-af5d-1008269bf100","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70d79a0e-57d3-4057-a936-ee9f2b9c2327","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(115.23810%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":700,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Tanzania Confirms Marburg Virus Outbreak Learn more