Some people die of coronavirus. Others feel good after recovery. But about 10% survive and experience a series of debilitating symptoms, according to some estimates. These people, dubbed “long haulers”, suffer from the mysterious and potentially life-destroying post-COVID syndrome, also known as Long COVID. “This condition can affect anyone – old and young, healthy people and those struggling with other conditions. It has been seen in people who have been hospitalized with COVID-19 and in patients with very mild symptoms,” say experts at UC Davis Health. “The most common symptoms of the long hauler include the following,” they say – read on and, to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Clear signs that you’ve had the coronavirus.
“Brain fog, fatigue and difficulty concentrating,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease specialist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said earlier this year at International AIDS Conference. “This is something that we really need to consider seriously because it could very well be a post-viral syndrome associated with COVID-19.” He called long-distance symptoms “highly suggestive” of myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, a set of symptoms that include, yes, fatigue, but also cognitive dysfunction and “post-exertion malaise”. Even minimal activity can make sufferers feel like they’ve been hit by a truck.
Dr. Fauci warns that “myalgia” – defined as “muscle pain, aches and pains associated with ligaments, tendons and soft tissues that connect bones, organs and muscles” by Southern and Neurological Pain– is a registered trademark of Post-COVID Syndrome. They can appear anywhere on your body.
“Common symptoms of long-distance syndrome include overwhelming fatigue, shortness of breath during light activities, joint pain, chest pain, a racing or pounding heart, difficulty concentrating, short-term memory loss and persistent loss of smell,” report Chicago Health. “Some report mental health symptoms, including chronic stress. Many are unable to return to work or the active life they were used to ”.
NPR tells the story of “Dr. Scott Krakower, a 40-year-old psychiatrist from New York who had chills and a fever for almost two weeks in April before testing positive.” Four months later, he was still short of breath: “I try to think, ‘OK, I’m ready to go back to work and stuff,'” says Krakower. “And then my friends and colleagues who are in the medical field, I think that just hearing me try to talk to explain why I should do something, I think they said, ‘Scott, come on even basically just hold a conversation sometimes . ‘”
“… even if it didn’t happen during the height of the disease,” says UC Health, it may seem. It is one of the most characteristic signs of COVID-19 and the post-COVID syndrome. “In addition to persistent cough, which can also occur with other viruses, the loss of taste and smell lasts for many years,” says a report in the JAMA.
Because COVID-19 can mess with your neurological system, experts believe it can cause vivid dreams and nightmares and irregular sleep patterns. The attack of the virus on the respiratory system can also cause difficulties to sleep. “To this day, I still have a little anxiety about sleeping,” said Patrick Hobart, a 41-year-old web developer. TODAY. “While I’m lying down, I get an involuntary sigh for air … suddenly, it’s like my body pushes the air down my throat.”
“Long-haulers can have a long-lasting cough,” according to UC Davis. “Some patients may have one of these symptoms and some will have a combination,” said Christian Sandrock, professor of pulmonary medicine and intensive care at UC Davis Health. “We just don’t know why yet.”
A post-COVID headache can be unbearably overwhelming. “There are days when I don’t do anything and I just can’t get out of bed. Migraines. They are ten times worse than a flu headache, pain like muscle problems,” Sadie Nagamootoo, a 44-year-old personal trainer, said 60 minutes. “And there are times when my hands seem to have pins and needles and I have to stop using them because I can’t feel anything.” Also on the program, Dr. Dayna McCarthy, from the post-COVID care center on Mount Sinai, said she herself has the syndrome. Due to the effort it took to appear on TV and at other meetings, she said, “I will probably have the most terrible headache. And I will take some Tylenol, curl up in a ball and sleep and hope to feel better tomorrow.”
“Brain fog is among the most confusing symptoms for long haul trucks,” reports UC Davis. “Patients report being abnormally forgetful, confused or unable to concentrate even enough to watch TV. This can happen to people who have been in an intensive care unit for a while, but it is relatively rare. However, it is happening with a variety of patients, including those who have not been hospitalized. “
“The list of long-distance symptoms is long, wide and inconsistent, “says UC Davis. (In fact, here are 98 symptoms that coronavirus patients say they have had.)”The reasons why long-haulers feel this way are a mystery that is being unraveled. “A common theory about patients with long-term symptoms of COVID-19 is that the virus possibly remains in their bodies in some small way,” says UC Davis. “Another theory is that their immune system continues to overreact, even though the infection has passed.” If you experience symptoms, even if you have never received a positive COVID-19 test, contact a medical professional. And to protect your life and the lives of others, don’t visit any of these 35 places you’re most likely to reach COVID.