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Millions of people diagnosed with COVID-19 still suffer from persistent symptoms.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to gather a complete picture of long-term COVID-19, the condition syndrome that persists after having COVID-19, but there is still no complete understanding.
“A growing number of people previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, have reported persistent symptoms or the onset of long-term symptoms, ≥4 weeks after acute COVID-19; these symptoms are commonly referred to as post-COVID conditions, or long-term COVID, “the CDC said in a recent Weekly Report on Morbidity and Mortality (MMWR).
The report adds that COVID-19 survivors are twice as likely to develop a clot in their lungs, also known as a pulmonary embolism or other lung problems. And among those who survived COVID-19, one in five between the ages of 18 and 64 and one in four who were 65 or older experienced at least one condition that could be attributed to a previous COVID-19 infection. .
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The agency organizes the symptoms of the disease into several categories, including general symptoms such as fatigue, respiratory symptoms such as difficulty breathing, heart symptoms such as chest pain or rapid heartbeat, and neurological symptoms, including known as “brain fog”.
“Some people with post-COVID conditions have symptoms that are not explained by the tests,” the CDC said. “People with post-COVID conditions may experience health problems of different types and combinations of symptoms that occur over different periods of time.”
Anyone with COVID-19 may experience the disease, with a recent analysis of private insurance claims finding that more than 75% of long-term patients with COVID were not hospitalized for their initial illness. The researchers analyzed data from the first four months after a special diagnostic code for the disease was created last year.
Atlanta, Georgia, USA – August 28, 2011: Close-up of the entrance sign of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sign near Block 1700 Clifton Road in Atlanta, Georgia, on the Emory University campus. Vertical composition. (iStock)
Estimates vary in the proportion that COVID-19 develops at length, but approximately 13% develop the syndrome after one month of initial infection, 2.5% develop the disease at three months based on self-report, and more than 30% of those hospitalized develop it at length. Symptoms of COVID-19 at 6 months, according to the CDC.
Some people are at higher risk for long-term COVID-19, including those with severe COVID-19 disease, those with chronic medical problems before having COVID-19, those who are not vaccinated against COVID-19, and those affected by health inequalities, such as certain racial reasons. and minority ethnic groups and people with disabilities, according to the CDC.
The UK Health Security Agency, however, looked at eight studies investigating the impact of vaccines on long-term COVID and found that two of the eight had inconclusive evidence that vaccination reduced the risk of developing long-term COVID. according to your information.
Another study of 209 patients in Cell suggests that high levels of coronavirus in the bloodstream at the onset of infection, as well as the presence of specific antibodies that accidentally attack our own tissues, known as autoantibodies, may increase the risk of COVID. long-term.
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The study also found that the virus known to cause mononucleosis in most people during childhood, known as Epstein-Barr virus, which usually remains dormant after the initial infection, is another possible risk factor. which reactivates in adulthood in those with long-term COVID.
The exact cause of long-term COVID is unknown, but some research suggests that an overactive immune response to the initial infection may cause long-term symptoms of COVID, said Dr. Michael Peluso, an infectious disease physician at the University of California, San Francisco.
“We know that during acute COVID-19, some people have a really accelerated immune response and some people have a reduced immune response, and that response can determine the trajectory of how someone does it,” he said.
Some research suggests that approximately 60 percent of all long-term COVID patients are women, according to other long-term conditions with similar symptoms, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, according to the Times.
Recent research suggests long peaks in COVID around middle age, with a recent Northwestern study of the first 100 patients treated for neurological symptoms at a post-COVID-19 clinic found the maximum age of disease at age 43.
There is no single long-term test for diagnosing COVID-19, but the CDC notes that a health care provider should consider the diagnosis based on a patient’s history, including a diagnosis of COVID-19 using a positive test or by symptoms or exposure, combined with a physical examination. exam.
But some will also develop new health problems after the initial illness, the agency noted.
Young man sick in bed, covered with a light gray blanket, surrounded by used handkerchiefs
A recent Scottish study published in Nature Medicine found that one in eight patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between May 2020 and March 2021 were subsequently diagnosed with myocarditis or inflammation of the heart, while damage to other organs, such as kidneys, was also common.
“COVID-19 is a multisystemic disease, and our study shows that lesions in the heart, lungs, and kidneys can be seen after onset. [hospitalization] in blood scans and tests, “said Colin Berry, the study’s lead researcher and professor of cardiology and imaging at the University of Glasgow.
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“The best way to avoid post-COVID conditions is to protect yourself and others from getting infected. For people who are eligible, get vaccinated and keep up with vaccines. COVID-19 can help prevent COVID-19 infection and protect against serious infections, “the CDC said.
If you have long COVID, click here if you are eligible to participate in the National Institute of Health’s RECOVER study.