![]() More resources may now be available for support. For this reason, the article’s authors recommend that doctors do not require positive test results in order to diagnose chronic COVID-19 symptoms. This, coupled with a lack of access to testing in some areas, means that many people with long COVID do not receive medical attention. False-negative test results: According to an article in BMJ, false negatives are common among people with COVID-19.This can mean that even when doctors are aware of the potential long-term impact, they may not know how to provide treatment. Lack of information: Scientists are not yet sure what causes long COVID or how best to manage it.Early guidance indicated that for most people, the illness would be short-term. Lack of awareness: Early in the pandemic, doctors were not aware that COVID-19 could cause lasting symptoms.People who leave the hospital after having COVID-19 need ongoing support and rehabilitation to help them recover.ĭuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have found it difficult to access treatment for their ongoing symptoms.īelow are just a few of the factors that have prevented people from accessing necessary medical care: A July 2020 study lists the following complications of ventilator treatment: People who spend time in the hospital and require mechanical ventilation may also experience other difficulties. The nervous system: An April 2020 study with 214 participants found that people with severe COVID-19 were more likely to experience neurological manifestations, such as dizziness, nerve pain, and impaired consciousness.Ĭurrently, doctors are not sure how these complications will affect people in the long term.The researchers speculate that in some people, COVID-19 may also cause myocarditis, inflammation of this muscle. The heart: According to a June 2020 review, 20–30% of people hospitalized with COVID-19 have signs that the illness has affected their heart muscle. ![]() In some people, it can cause long-term breathing difficulties. The lungs: An August 2020 study found that people with severe COVID-19 are often discharged with signs of pulmonary fibrosis, a type of lung damage.As the WHO note, the complications can involve damage to: In addition, people with a more severe form of the illness may be more likely to experience complications. People with severe symptoms can also experience long COVID. Citing a telephone survey, the World Health Organization (WHO) observe that 20% of people aged 18–34 reported prolonged symptoms.Īround 10–15% of people who develop COVID-19 experience severe symptoms, and approximately 5% become critically ill. It seems that anyone, including young people and those with no preexisting health conditions, can develop long COVID. These symptoms may last for weeks or months after the body has cleared the virus. the new onset of diabetes or high blood pressure.People with mild or moderate COVID-19 often go on to report: When these symptoms are prolonged, people sometimes refer to the issue as “long COVID” or to the people who have it as “long-haulers.” However, some people who have had a mild or moderate illness go on to develop lasting symptoms that can be severe - even after they have recovered from the initial infection. ![]() Most people who develop COVID-19 experience a mild or moderate illness that improves on its own. Initiatives such as the COVID Symptom Study are tracking peoples’ symptoms and the long-term consequences of the disease via a mobile app. Research into the impact of COVID-19 is ongoing. For this reason, looking to the other two diseases does not provide a reliable way to predict COVID-19’s long-term effects. A 2009 study found that 40% of people who survived SARS still experienced chronic fatigue about 3.5 years later, on average.īut while SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 are caused by viruses from the same family, there are key differences among them, as the 2020 study highlights. Researchers have theorized that the virus responsible for COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), may cause similar effects to other coronaviruses, such as those that cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).Īccording to a 2020 study, around 30% of people who recovered from severe SARS or MERS had long-term lung abnormalities. Share on Pinterest Image credit: Jasmin Merdan/Getty Images.īecause COVID-19 is a new disease, scientists are unsure about the effects months or years after the initial illness.
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