Young Adults, Beware Of Mild, Asymptomatic COVID-19 Infection: It Can Cause Long-Term Health Complications
It is a known fact that many patients who have recovered from COVID-19 infection suffer health complications in the long run. But these complications are usually associated with severe disease. It is also more common among older patients. But now, new research at the Appalachian State University highlights the possible long term health impacts of COVID-19 on young, relatively healthy adults who were not hospitalized and who only had minor symptoms due to the virus.
Stiffness of arteries found in mild cases among healthy young adults
Increased stiffness of arteries in particular was found in young adults, which may impact heart health, and can also be important for other populations who may have had severe cases of the virus. This means that young, healthy adults with mild COVID-19 symptoms may increase their risk of cardiovascular complications which may continue for some time after COVID-19 infection.
Changes in blood vessel may also happen
While SARS-CoV-2, the virus known for causing the COIVD-19 pandemic, is mainly characterized by respiratory symptoms, other studies have recently shown changes to blood vessel function among young adults 3-4 weeks after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 . This has also been observed months after infection in older adults as well .
Blood supply to brain may be affected
Researchers found that the virus may have detrimental effects to arteries throughout the body, including in the carotid artery which supplies the brain with blood. This draws comparisons between SARS-CoV-2 and other acute bacterial and viral infections which alter arterial stiffness such as rheumatic fever, Kawasaki disease, pneumonia, H. Pylori, and lupus, all of which may persist long after symptoms have resolved.
Finding the cause
The researchers tested young adults 3-4 weeks after being infected with SARS-CoV-2. They used an ultrasound on the carotid artery and took recordings of that image for 10-15 heart beats. These recordings were analyzed on a computer software to find measures of carotid stiffness. For the control group, they used data from young healthy adults who were studied prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As far as limitations of this study goes, the researchers do not know if the SARS-CoV-2 group had any innate decrements in arterial stiffness prior to contracting the virus. They also did not control for menstrual cycle or variations in contraceptive use in either group. However, previous research has indicated that contraceptive use and menstrual cycle fluctuations among young healthy females may not influence the outcome measures they were studying.
The researchers are following these young adults for 6 months after initial infection with SARS-CoV-2 to observe if and when the arterial health of these individuals is improving. The results of the longitudinal study will be interesting, as these adults’ symptomology may improve, yet their arterial health may not be recovering as quickly, which may have significance for their heart health.