MOST Brits have caught Covid over the last three years at least once.
And while the Covid jab has helped protect us and put an end to lockdowns, the virus is still circulating widely, according to recent reports.
New research suggests people who catch the bug are more likely to develop temporary arthritis
In fact, as of March 11, cases of the bug climbed by 6.5 per cent since the week previously, according to the Office of National Statistics.
An estimated 1.5millions Brits had the virus in week ending 7 March – equating to around one in every 20 people.
And now, new research suggests people who catch the bug are more likely to develop temporary arthritis – know as reactive arthritis.
Reactive arthritis a condition that causes inflammation in various places in the body.
According to the NHS, it usually develops following an infection, typically a sexually transmitted infection (STI) such as chlamydia, or an infection of the bowel.
Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis usually clears up in a few months without causing long-term problems.
But in the meantime, it can cause painful swelling various joints in the body, especially the knees, feet, toes, hips and ankles.
German scientists have discovered that Covid can also trigger the painful joint condition.
This is also the case for people with no genetic disposition for arthritis.
The small study, published in the Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Researc, looked at the health data of 57 people who tested positive for Covid.
It found that people who catch the bug are is five times more likely to develop reactive arthritis than people who don’t have Covid.
According to the researchers “all symptoms [of reactive arthritis] resolved within few days.
“At last follow-up, all patients were minimally symptomatic or asymptomatic, and no additional therapy or attentions were required by any patient,” they added.
Symptoms of reactive arthritis
The symptoms of reactive arthritis usually develop within four weeks of an infection.
The three parts of the body most commonly affected by reactive arthritis are the:
joints and tendons
urinary system
eyes
Source: NHS
Previous studies found you’re also more likely to experience a host of gastrointestinal problems if you’ve been infected with the virus.
This is the case even if your illness was pretty mild, according to clinical epidemiologists from Washington University in St. Louis, US.
In April 2020, a report published by researchers in the US found that Covid can cause inflammation in the brain.
In May 2020, the bug was also linked to a Kawasaki-like inflammatory condition which was affecting young children.
And in May 2022, medics in Glasgow found patients also presented with myocarditis, inflammation of the heart, after contracting the bug.
The results showed that one in eight patients were struck with myocarditis.
The condition may cause chest pain or breathlessness just walking up the stairs, flu-like symptoms such as a high temperature and fatigue, or heart palpitations.
Recovery from Covid infection has also been linked with the development of a number of chronic conditions.
This includes type 2 diabetes, mental health issues, blood clots, brain damage, heart attack all of which have been shown in research to be more commonly diagnosed in those who have had Covid.