While the COVID-19 pandemic is no longer in the crisis stage globally, many people—including some wine lovers—continue to feel its effects. Anecdotal evidence has indicated a potential link between COVID infection and increased alcohol sensitivity. That sensitivity can cause headaches, severe hangover-like symptoms and other effects, including intoxication at low levels of consumption.
Now, new research adds to our understanding of how so-called ‘long COVID’ may impact people’s enjoyment of alcohol. The study, conducted by researchers at Stanford Health Care and published in the journal Cureus late last year, reports that some people with long COVID experience a dramatically decreased ability to tolerate alcohol, even in small amounts. The study reports the cases of four people who had long COVID and experienced acute alcohol sensitivity, which led to changes in their drinking habits.
What is long COVID?
Long COVID (formally known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2) is a group of symptoms experienced after acute viral infection with COVID-19. Symptoms and their severity vary widely, and they can last anywhere from a few months to over a year.
Patients commonly report headache, fatigue, disrupted sleep and more. These symptoms are also common in other conditions associated with previous viral infection, including Hodgkin’s lymphoma, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and complications from Epstein-Barr infection.
Long COVID and alcohol sensitivity
Alcohol sensitivity is also emerging as a possible symptom of long COVID, but very little medical research has looked into the phenomenon. The new study is limited, analyzing the cases of four Stanford patients who had long COVID symptoms lasting longer than a month, but offers a serious look at the possible link. Their experiences varied widely, from mildly increased sensitivity to alcohol to severe intolerance.
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