Women have a high risk of developing long COVID, according to a new study by RECOVER, a long COVID research.

Morris A. Women have a higher risk for long covid. Estrogen may play a role. The Washington Post. February 20, 2025.

The research studied over 12,000 adults and found that women had a 31% higher risk of developing long COVID. Women between the ages of 40 and 54 who were not menopausal were found to have the highest overall risk—and were 45% more likely to develop long COVID than men in the same age group. A previous study from 2024, had similar results.

Maham S, Yoon MS. Clinical Spectrum of Long COVID: Effects on Female Reproductive Health. Viruses. 2024;16(7):1142.

Menopause and other hormonal factors appear to play a significant role. In the RECOVER study, there was no significant difference in long COVID risk in women between the ages of 40 and 54 who had already experienced menopause and women ages 18 to 39 compared to men in the same age groups.

Morris A. Women have a higher risk for long covid. Estrogen may play a role. The Washington Post. February 20, 2025.

Estrogen, progesterone, and COVID

Estrogen levels tend to drop during menopause but are generally high in women under the age of 40.

Morris A. Women have a higher risk for long covid. Estrogen may play a role. The Washington Post. February 20, 2025.

Progesterone levels are also typically high and can increase during pregnancy.

Both estrogen and testosterone are linked to the immune system, but the connection isn’t fully understood.

Higher levels of estrogen may be linked to longer-term immune responses, which may play a role in the risk for long COVID among women. Additional research is needed. 

Long COVID risks

Anyone with a history of COVID-19 can develop long COVID. Patients who experience mild symptoms during their initial COVID-19 infection and are otherwise healthy can experience long COVID.

However, emerging data has pointed to multiple known risk factors. Beyond hormones, factors such as age and preexisting health conditions are known to play a role.

Morris A. Women have a higher risk for long covid. Estrogen may play a role. The Washington Post. February 20, 2025.

“Demographics play a significant role, with women and older adults showing higher susceptibility,” says Amir Hadanny, MD, PhD, chief medical officer and head of research at Aviv Clinics.

Preexisting health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and autoimmune disorders correlate with increased vulnerability, Dr. Hadanny goes on to explain.

"Biologically, several markers correlate with long COVID development, including persistent inflammation, autoantibodies, viral persistence in tissues, and microvascular dysfunction,” he says.

Interestingly, the severity of the initial infection isn’t a definitive factor.

Research is ongoing. The best practices for preventing, diagnosing, and treating long COVID continue to change as new information emerges. Vaccination is currently considered one of the best ways to reduce risk.

CDC. Long COVID Basics. February 3, 2025.