• A recent study conducted by the University of Glasgow's researchers found that COVID-19 patients might have lasting health impacts.
  • In fact, an average male can lose about 13 years of his life, and a female 11 years, the study noted.
  • Researchers leveraged data provided by the World Health Organization and calculated the average time a person would have lived if they didn't die from a health event like the coronavirus diagnosis.
  • This study is still awaiting peer review, and it's still unknown whether the novel coronavirus could trigger long-term health conditions.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Researchers have found that a COVID-19 diagnosis might have more detrimental consequences than one might expect. 

On average, those who died from the novel coronavirus lost more than a decade of their life to the disease, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

"COVID-19 is not killing people who are already near death, rather it's claiming the lives of many people more than a decade before their time," ABC News reported.

In fact, the average male who died from COVID-19 lost about 13 years, and female 11 years, according to the study.

As of May 1, the coronavirus has killed more than 213,000 people and infected more than 3.1 million worldwide, but there is very little information around whether this virus has long-lasting health impacts. In fact, there are still many mysteries surrounding the origins, transmission, and outcomes of the illness. 

University of Glasgow's experts used a statistical measurement called "years of potential life lost," or the average time a person would have lived if they didn't die from a health event like the COVID-19 pandemic, the study noted. They leveraged healthcare and WHO data, and they also accounted for age, sex, and underlying health conditions when making their estimates, ABC News reported. 

Dr. David McAllister, a senior clinical lecturer and lead researcher of the University of Glasgow's coronavirus study, previously told ABC News that his findings suggested coronavirus has similar long-term impacts as coronary heart disease, in which your life expectancy rate would also decrease. 

Notably, the study is currently awaiting peer review, in which other experts working in the same field would evaluate and verify the accuracy of its findings. 

Though no one really knows if coronavirus has lasting health damage, some early cases in China noted reduced lung function among recovered patients, Business Insider previously reported. 

Additionally, people who have blood clots or preexisting medical conditions also face a higher risk for long term damage. 

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