'Symptoms post COVID recovery may impact daily life' Says Experts
https://www.sentinelassam.com/national-news/symptoms-post-covid-recovery-may-impact-daily-life-says-experts-534316
https://www.sentinelassam.com/national-news/symptoms-post-covid-recovery-may-impact-daily-life-says-experts-534316
https://www.sentinelassam.com/national-news/symptoms-post-covid-recovery-may-impact-daily-life-says-experts-534316
Are you a COVID-19 survivor, but still feel fatigued and not having fully recovered? You may be experiencing what is known as "Long COVID". The symptoms may not be life-threatening, but can persist for months and impact daily life, experts say.
While most
patients who were affected with SARS-CoV — the virus behind the deadly
coronavirus — and recovered, may do fine, but some are likely to face symptoms,
including fatigue, shortness of breath, "brain fog," sleep disorders,
fevers, gastrointestinal symptoms, anxiety, and depression, according to the US
National Institutes of Health.
"Patients post COVID on the recovery stage can have multiple symptoms
which includes weakness, myalgia, joint pain, breathlessness, cough, headache,
and anxiety. Some of these symptoms are due to persistent respiratory
dysfunction during the recovery phase of COVID infection and breathlessness is
due to residual lung damage," Dr Praveen Gupta, Director and Head,
Neurology, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said.
For those past the middle age, the condition seems to be more critical.
"COVID survivors, especially after middle age, develop breathlessness and
easy fatigue on exertion. Lung functions are compromised. Some would always
continue to have reduced lung function in the form of breathlessness on
exertion as fibrosis is seen following COVID. The degree of fibrosis in each
case will decide the sequelae," said DrRavindra Gupta, Sr Consultant,
Internal Medicine at Columbia Asia Hospital, Gurugram.
The symptoms per se are not life-threatening once you recover from the disease,
but can affect quality of life, the health experts said, adding however, it is
still too early to say how long the post-COVID symptoms could continue.
According
to a large global study of the emerging "Long COVID syndrome",
reported in January, nearly half of more than 3,700 self-described COVID
"Long Haulers" in 56 countries could not work full time six months
after unexpectedly developing prolonged symptoms of COVID-19.
Another study led by University of Washington in the US, reported in February
that about one in three patients who survived COVID, continue to complain
months later of symptoms like fatigue, loss of smell or taste and brain fog.
In April
first week, about 1.1 million Britons reported having long COVID symptoms, the
UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed. "These symptoms are
usually short-lasting and resolve with appropriate medication in a few months.
These symptoms are not life-threatening," Gupta said.