What Are the Long Term Health Consequences of COVID-19?

Typical news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely list the latest death and recovery rates among patients, which is certainly enough to see the bigger picture. However, life and death are not precisely opposites. No one can tell you that better than a COVID-19 patient who has been hooked up to a ventilator for weeks.  You can also hear from the patient who has been put into a medically induced coma and managed to recover.

For these people who have experienced the darkest side of this dangerous new virus, of whom there are thousands upon thousands, the disease didn’t end the day they were discharged from the hospital. Many will experience long-term physical and mental consequences of the disease. Although scientists still don’t know much about these residual effects of severe SARS-CoV-2 infections, it’s essential to be aware of the things we do know. Below, we examine the possible long term health effects of COVID-19 and the populations most susceptible to them.

Which COVID-19 Patients Have the Highest Risk of Experiencing Long Term Health Effects?
As you’re likely aware, not all patients experience a SARS-CoV-2 infection the same way; some may even be asymptomatic. They never know where they got it. So, it’s only logical that those who are asymptomatic and those who have recovered from a mild form of the virus may notice very few if any changes in their well being.

Patients suffering from a mild case of COVID-19 may experience weakness and fatigue for some time, or have a cough and chest pains for a few weeks after recovery, but that’s pretty much it. Generally speaking, the people who have the highest risks of developing any long term effects are those who had pneumonia and required oxygen. At the same time, they tested positive for the virus.

High-risk populations include:

    People over the age of 65
    Diabetic patients
    Patients with chronic diseases - liver, lung, heart, and kidney
    People with compromised immune systems
    Morbid obesity sufferers.

The Physical Long Term Effects of COVID-19
COVID-19 in a viral respiratory infection, so one of the main residual effects of the disease will involve the respiratory system. Those who had a moderate to severe case of the virus may have asthma or suffer shortness of breath and rough breathing for a prolonged time.
Severe Coronavirus patients may also develop Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in the course of the disease, which is a life-threatening lung injury. What occurs is that fluids leak into the lungs. ARDS is a medical emergency, and patients who have overcome the condition often need long-term treatment and a lengthy rehabilitation process.

In addition, COVID-19 increases the level of inflammation in the body dramatically, which can lead to damage in other organs and tissues.

 Doctors know that some severe patients may suffer from long-term brain, kidney, and heart damage as a result of lung failure. There are studies from China that found a higher-than-normal incidence of kidney and heart damage among Coronavirus patients.

A similar picture appears to follow in the western world, too, with a recent Washington Post article concluding that “clinicians around the world are seeing evidence that suggests the virus also may be causing heart inflammation, acute kidney disease, neurological malfunction, blood clots, intestinal damage and liver problems”.

Lastly, weeks spent under the ventilator, or simply in a bed, with no appetite or strength to move, may weaken the musculoskeletal system. This means that many patients may be weak and experience impaired mobility in the aftermath of the disease.

Neurological and Mental Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infections

The Long Term Effects on the Brain.

 The human brain is dependent on a steady supply of oxygen, and respiratory infections of the lungs like the Novel Coronavirus may be significantly reducing oxygen supply to the brain. As a result, patients can feel neurological symptoms both during and after the disease. Confusion, inability to concentrate, memory problems, and mood swings are just some of the cognitive symptoms COVID-19 patients may experience. Researchers are not sure yet how long these symptoms can persist.

Another way the virus may be affecting the brain is rather direct. A recent Chinese study published in the prestigious JAMA journal suggests that the virus may be attacking the brainstem (the area of the brain that connects the spinal cord and the brain hemispheres), and is responsible for several essential bodily functions, including breathing and sense perception.

Long Term Health Consequences of COVID-19 man not feeling good at work coronavirus

The authors of this study suggest that one of the earliest symptoms of COVID-19 patients is often the loss of the sense of smell, which, as the authors suggest, means that the virus is damaging the brainstem and possibly even the breathing centers in the brainstem. We are yet to find further confirmation of that theory in future studies.

Mental Effects. For some people, the physical after-effects of COVID-19 aren’t the worst, but it is the psychological trauma that will continue affecting their lives in the long run. It is no secret that severe illnesses come with certain mental repercussions, with many intensive care patients, hospitalized with COVID-19 or not, and those who have spent a lot of time in the hospital often experiencing symptoms of trauma, anxiety, depression and even PTSD as a result.

Knowing the stigma and mass fear of the Novel Coronavirus we all observe on a worldwide level, one can only imagine how traumatizing it may be to suffer from the disease. Apart from that, the lives of many patients change dramatically when they are discharged from the hospital.  Many can no longer sustain a lifestyle they used to be part of, so any adverse mental reactions of COVID-19 patients are completely justified. Unfortunately, validation of these symptoms doesn’t make their life any easier.

The bottom line is that there are still so many things we do not know about the Coronavirus and its long term effects on the human body and mind. That said, it seems that most people with a mild form of the condition seem to fully recover from the infection in a matter of a few weeks. For those who have suffered through a severe form of COVID-19, however, it will take a long time to recover, both physically and mentally.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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If You're Immunocompromised, You Are at a Higher Risk of Coronavirus—Here's What That Means

People around the world are taking precautions to protect themselves from the coronavirus. But some people are at a much higher risk for serious complications from the virus than others, including the elderly and people who are immunocompromised. But what does it mean to be immunocompromised, exactly? Here’s what you need to know about immunocompromised patients and COVID-19.

William Li, MD, physician scientist and author of Eat To Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself, tells Health that when a person is immunocompromised (sometimes referred to as immunosuppressed), it means their immune defenses are weakened and not functioning normally. 

“These defenses, made of an army of cells with unique weapons that destroy invaders in the body, protect you against the common cold, bacteria, and viruses, and even cancer,” explains Dr. Li. “When the defenses are low, an individual becomes highly vulnerable to infection.”

This immune system compromise can be temporary or permanent, depending on the underlying cause, Melinda Ring, MD, executive director of Northwestern Medicine's Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, tells Health. “It also can involve many different aspects of our body’s defense system, such as a lack of white blood cells that phagocytose (basically ‘eat’) and kill microbes, or problems making adequate antibodies in response to exposure to foreign organisms,” she says.

What are the most common causes of a compromised immune system?
Chronic conditions that affect the immune system include heart disease, lung disease, lupus, and diabetes. Other conditions that can leave a person immunocompromised include cancer, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, and some rare genetic disorders, says Dr. Li. Chemotherapy and steroids can also lower immunity. “They suppress the body’s ability to activate its immune defenses by destroying immune cells or by blunting the cell’s ability to spot and kill bacteria,” Dr. Li explains.

There are different levels of immunosuppression. “Some people may just be more susceptible to infections or have more severe or longer lasting infections,” says Dr. Ring. “On the other hand, some people are at ongoing high risk, in which case exposure to infection needs to be aggressively avoided, as these individuals are more susceptible to unusual pathogens and even common infections like pneumonia can become life-threatening.”

A person with compromised immunity is more at risk for infection because their immune system may not mount the usual obvious reactions to threats, such as a fever or swelling. “This can lead to infections being missed early on and allow them to become more deeply seated in the body before a person realizes there is a need to seek help from a health care professional,” explains Dr. Ring.

Immunocompromised patients may also lack the ability to respond appropriately to vaccination. That may mean they don't develop immunity, and they mistakenly assume they are protected against an illness when they are not. “When the immune system isn’t working at full capacity, it doesn’t have the army of immune cells and mediators ready to mount a defense at the first sign of attack,” says Dr. Ring. “This means infections may progress more rapidly from a mild virus into sepsis, a widespread infection leading to malfunction of the body’s organs.”

Immunocompromised people need to be careful not to weaken their immune system even further, says Dr. Li. “Emotional stress, lack of sleep, and physical exhaustion can all depress immunity, making an immunocompromised patient more susceptible to disease,” he explains. As well as taking steps to relieve stress and getting plenty of sleep, Dr. Li advises eating a healthy diet consisting of foods that boost immunity.

If you’re an immunocompromised person and think you might have COVID-19, it’s crucial that you stay at home and call your doctor right away. If you need emergency help (for example, if you have difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, or persistent pain or pressure in your chest), get immediate medical attention. Otherwise, follow your doctor’s instructions for taking care of yourself at home, which will help prevent other people from getting exposed or infected.

The information in this story is accurate as of press time. However, as the situation surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC, WHO, and their local public health department as resources.

 

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Coronavirus patients could still be contagious after symptoms resolve

Coronavirus patients could still be infectious for up to eight days after they’ve appeared to recover, a new study says.

The small study, which was published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, determined that half of patients were still carriers of the virus even after symptoms resolved.

Researchers looked at 16 patients with mild cases who were admitted to the Treatment Center of PLA General Hospital in Beijing between Jan. 28 and Feb. 9.

“The most significant finding from our study is that half of the patients kept shedding the virus even after resolution of their symptoms,” co-author Dr. Lokesh Sharma from the Yale School of Medicine said in a statement.

On average, the patients still had the virus two-and-a-half days after no longer experiencing symptoms — but individual cases ranged up to eight days, the study said.

Researchers cited other studies in the report that found those carrying the virus could still be contagious to others. Given these findings, they warned that patients who have appeared to recover could spread the disease.

“This information can provide useful tool for clinicians and policymakers to ensure that recovered patients do not spread the virus,” researchers said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that people with symptoms associated with coronavirus self-isolate for at least three days after the “resolution of a fever without fever-reducing medications.”

“If you had mild respiratory symptoms from COVID-19 and were staying at home so as not to infect people, extend your quarantine for another two weeks after recovery to ensure that you don’t infect other people,” said co-author Dr. Lixin Xie of the Chinese PLA General Hospital in a statement.

The researchers, however, noted that more studies were necessary since the report was limited in scope. It’s unclear whether the same results would be found with an older group or among those with compromised immune systems.

Our study is limited by the number of patients as there have been limited cases outside the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak that has been successfully treated so far to be released from the hospital,” researchers wrote.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement