Long-COVID, there are adverse results of catching COVID, commonly known as Long-COVID.
Long-COVID includes such problems as repeated (chronic) lung and even neurologic problems sometimes lasting for years after surviving COVID.
The Cleveland Clinic offers this outline of common Long COVID complaints, i.e. problems which occur several months after recovering from COVID:
“[You feel] exhausted all the time. Or you can’t think straight. Food you once loved tastes metallic – or you can’t taste it at all. You might not be able to remember the last time you got a good night’s sleep”
While there are undeniable adverse results for some people who take the COVID-19 vaccines (which appear to be much worse in some countries such as Australia), there are even more dangers from catching COVID-19, besides the possibility of death.
Long-COVID Numbers
Long COVID, or PASC (post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) was known to affect in 2022, 6.9% of adults-equivalent to about 18 million Americans-reported ever having Long COVID while 3.4%-about 8.8 million-said they currently had the condition, according to 2022 U.S. Census estimates.
https://pascdashboard.aapmr.org/
“As of September 30, 2022, 96,158,524 confirmed COVID-19 cases were in the US [1]. Studies suggest that 20 to 40% of COVID-19 survivors may be affected by PostAcute Sequelae of COVID-19 (post COVID Problems)…
and
persistent symptoms of acute infection (e.g., cough, fatigue, loss of smell [11-13]), new chronic disorders, (e.g., chronic lung or neurologic disease [3, 14-21]), and late post-COVID complications (e.g., autoimmune complications). COVID-19 vaccinations could decrease the risk for PASC by 13% – 22% [22, 23]; however, with a massive number of breakthrough infections and a relaxation of mitigation measures throughout the world, the high prevalence of PASC during an ongoing pandemic could present a tremendous burden for healthcare systems worldwide.”
Long-COVID an International Problem Who is at Most Risk
Although much of the information comes from U.S. studies, post-COVID problems are an international problem, the following is from a study in Qatar:
“the most commonly reported symptoms were fatigue (75.5%), followed by anxiety (49.1%), forgetfulness (46.5%), mood alteration (45.3%), and general weakness (39.6%). The logistic regression revealed that female gender (AOR: 2.58 95%CI: 1.58-4.225, p < 0.0001), university and high educational level (AOR: 2.2, 95%CI: 1.256-3.98, p < 0.006), poor level of social support (AOR: 2.45; 95%CI: 1.55-4.13; p < 0.002), were significant predictors for PCS.”
In other words, poor people and especially women in general are more likely to experience post-COVID problems. Women are notoriously underserved in Emergency Rooms and by physicians in general, more likely to be dismissed as “female problems” than are men with the same complaints.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38680936/
Includes multiple studies.
“severe acute COVID-19, female gender, older age, pre-existing diabetes, or the experience of specific symptoms during the acute COVID-19 phase, including fatigue, headache, hoarse voice, etc., were reported to increase the risk for PASC”
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.10.21.22281356v3
Long-COVID Causes
The causes of long COVID are still under study with multiple proposed causes from a reservoir of COVID-19 virus in the body which come out in a trickle for some people to changes in the immune system of COVID survivors which can trigger autoimmune problems.
Since the cause of long COVID is unknown in many cases the treatments are varied and often not successful in relieving symptoms.
Long-COVID What is IT?
“Long COVID is a collection of symptoms that last three months or longer after your first COVID symptoms. It can steal your energy, your ability to think clearly, and your sense of smell or taste. You might feel anxious or depressed, get frequent headaches, be short of breath or have heart palpitations. Treatment depends on your specific symptoms.”
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/25111-long-covid
It should not come as a surprise that some people continue to experience problems after recovering from COVID-19 because they also occur after other coronavirus infections including MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome and SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).
Long-COVID Treatments
The Cleveland Clinic has the following treatment modalities
Medication. Providers can treat certain symptoms and conditions, like cough, headaches, anxiety and depression with medication. If they can find an underlying cause for long COVID (like blood clots), they might be able to treat the cause with medications.
Stellate ganglion block or olfactory retraining. Providers can use these treatments to try to bring back your sense of smell and taste. A stellate ganglion block numbs certain nerves in your neck that can affect your sense of smell. Olfactory retraining uses common smells to help your brain remember what things should smell like.
Physical therapy. Physical therapy incorporates exercise, massage and other treatments that can help you with pain or movement issues.
Pulmonary rehabilitation. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a special kind of exercise and education program that can help you breathe better and learn how to manage breathing issues at home.
Counseling. Counseling gives you someone to talk to who can help you manage the psychological effects of severe or long-term illness.
With between 5 and 10% of COVID survivors experiencing some Long COVID symptoms, this is an important consideration when you decide whether or not to accept any coronavirus vaccine.
