Psychological distress linked to long COVID

(CNN) - If you suffer from anxiety, depression, or loneliness, you may be a higher risk of developing long COVID-19.

In a new study, published in Jama Psychiatry, said people with common psychiatric issues could have up to a fifty percent higher risk of longer term COVID-related symptoms.

Furthermore, these longer term symptoms include:

• Breathing problems
• Brain fog
• Body weight
• Smoking status
• Medical history

Further discoveries

In addition, researchers looked at medical data from nearly 55,000 people, adjusting for demographics, body weight, smoking and medical history.

Not only that, researchers say participants with two or more psychological distresses had the higher risk.

One of the study's authors said when you're depressed or anxious, your immune system doesn't work as well against targets like viruses and bacteria.