Louise Sallé / Photo credits: PHILIP DULIAN / DPA / DPA PICTURE-ALLIANCE VIA AFP 07:40, December 29, 2023

The flu is a common respiratory infection but far from harmless. According to a study by American researchers, published in mid-December in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, the flu virus can also have lasting effects on health.

We knew this for Covid, we now know that the "long flu" also exists. According to a study by American researchers, published in mid-December in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, the flu virus can also have lasting effects on health. Some symptoms can persist for months or even years. This discovery was made possible thanks to the large scientific investigations that were launched with many patients during Covid-19.

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Excessive coughing fits, shortness of breath...

Episodes of fever, fatigue, body aches that can occur weeks or even months after the infection, accompanied by excessive coughing fits, shortness of breath problems. These persistent respiratory frailties are characteristic of long influenza, which increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart attack, stroke and chronic respiratory diseases.

"If you like, it's as if the flu infection has set up something that means that over several years, we are with a safe risk of developing a certain number of these chronic diseases," explains Bruno Lina, professor of virology at the University Hospital of Lyon.

Less severe symptoms than those of long Covid

The study is in its infancy. It is too early to say what percentage of patients are also affected by this "long flu". But the good news is that these flu-like symptoms persisting after infection are less severe than those of long Covid. It is also very rare to develop this "long flu" with good vaccination coverage and good antiviral treatment in case of acute infection.