What is Long COVID? How do you handle it?

COVID-19 is an unfair illness.Caused by a new coronavirus, it killed At least 3 million people worldwide And Over 500,000 Just in the United States. Most infected people develop mild or moderate symptoms or no symptoms at all, but scientists now say that COVID-19 staggers, sometimes for months or even a year, another way to stagger and appear. I am studying.

“Long-distance COVID”, “Long-distance COVID or Post-COVID syndrome“It is a condition in which the body continues to experience the symptoms of COVID-19 even after the virus has been cleared. The long COVID is under the umbrella of the post-COVID condition described by the CDC. “New, recurrent, or ongoing health problems” It is caused by the disease for more than a month after infection.

News of potential COVID “long-haul carriers” in the United States has been widespread for over a year, and experts continue to collect data to best assess those at risk of developing the syndrome. is. Currently, studies show that even people with mild cases of COVID-19 can develop long COVID. In one study 27% of COVID-19 patients People who are not hospitalized have persistent symptoms, others About 75% of hospitalized patients Developed long COVID.

Below are some questions to keep in mind if you feel sick after being infected with the coronavirus.

What are the symptoms of long COVID?

Common symptoms include most of the symptoms expected with real COVID-19.The· CDC report Make them like this:

• Feeling tired or tired
• Difficulty in thinking or concentrating (sometimes called “brain fog”)
• headache
• Loss of smell and taste
• Dizziness when standing
• Fast beating or throbbing heart (also known as heart palpitations)
• Chest pain
• Dyspnea or shortness of breath
• cough
• Joint and muscle pain
• Depression and anxiety
• heat
• Symptoms that worsen after physical or mental activity

Dr. Nathia Safdar, Medical Director of Infection Control The University of Wisconsin states that the key to identifying Long COVID is to pay attention to new or persistent symptoms that occur about 30 days after infection.

“The most common thing we see is dealing with so-called higher executive function,” Safdar says. “Concentration, memory, ability to work as before.”

Persistent sensations of brain fog can be difficult to link to COVID-19, especially after testing for negatives. However, according to Safari, this is one of the most commonly reported symptoms in long-distance cases, with shortness of breath and malaise.

“This kind of symptom is difficult for people to explain, but they are clearly aware of the changes from their previous condition,” she says.

“Whenever your symptoms worsen, you need to see a doctor,” Safdar says. It’s important to assess whether you’ve cleared the virus, but it’s still struggling to work as before.

How common is long COVID and how long does it last?

Since COVID-19 is such a new disease, the persistent effects of coronavirus are still being studied. Safdar says he has seen studies suggesting that up to 40%, or only 10%, of all people with COVID have persistent symptoms, but the actual number depends on the population and those who participated in the study. There is a possibility.

For example, if you consider long COVID only if you have new symptoms that you did not have before, the proportion of people who have long COVID will be low. The number of people affected by Long COVID is much higher, including cases with both new and persistent symptoms, which is the definition of CDC.

“I think it reflects the fact that it’s probably under-diagnosed, probably under-recognized, and the truth is probably somewhere between 10% and 40%,” Safdar says.

How long will the condition last? Safdar states that there is not enough information to say for sure at this point and there will be a lot of “fluctuations” in people’s recovery.

“We know that people still have symptoms after six months,” she says. “So it could take a year-preferably not longer.”

What Causes Long COVID?

As with everything else related to the coronavirus, research is ongoing.New information Report by Healthline That there can be long-term changes in gene expression, and that peplomer produced when someone is infected with COVID-19 can affect healthy cells and cause persistent symptoms. Suggests.

Other theories are: Immune system inflammation, immune system dysfunction, post-traumatic stress due to illness.Persistent symptoms Organ damage is also a cause Caused by COVID-19.

If I have a long COVID, does that mean I’m still contagious?

No. If the body removes the virus and the COVID-19 test is negative, the virus will not spread.Long COVID is another condition Longer than normal COVID-19 infection, Where the virus is still active in people and makes them sick.

But be careful It is possible to get COVID-19 multiple times, Negative testing does not mean that positive testing will never be done again.

Can Long COVID be treated?

Safdar states that standard healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, resting, and avoiding substances such as tobacco can reduce the severity of COVID-19. However, there is no real answer at this time, given that even people with mild cases of COVID-19 may be long-haul carriers.

One thing that might help the case of long COVID is to get the vaccine, Safdar says.Says she was Recorded cases of people who improved after vaccination, And that the vaccine may alter people’s immune response and interfere with long COVID symptoms. But she states, “the mechanism is not clear.”

What is clear is the importance of vaccines. “I think that’s an important message. Vaccination has two purposes,” says Safdar. “Of course, I want to get it before I get infected with COVID, so I protect myself from COVID, but even in infected people, anecdotally, vaccination seems to help with the symptoms of long COVID.”

Playing:
Look at this:

How do I get the COVID-19 vaccine?Answered your question

23:39

The information contained in this article is for educational and informative purposes only and is not intended to provide health or medical advice. Always consult your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider if you have any questions about your medical condition or health goals.