Scientists just beginning to understand the many health problems caused by COVID-19

By Julie Steenhuysen

 

FILE PHOTO: A medical worker walks past a row of ambulances parked outside of Houston Methodist Hospital as storm clouds gather over the Texas Medical Center, amid the global outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). in Houston, Texas, U.S., June 22, 2020. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo

 

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Scientists are only starting to grasp the vast array of health problems caused by the novel coronavirus, some of which may have lingering effects on patients and health systems for years to come, according to doctors and infectious disease experts.

 

Besides the respiratory issues that leave patients gasping for breath, the virus that causes COVID-19 attacks many organ systems, in some cases causing catastrophic damage.

 

"We thought this was only a respiratory virus. Turns out, it goes after the pancreas. It goes after the heart. It goes after the liver, the brain, the kidney and other organs. We didn't appreciate that in the beginning," said Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California.

 

In addition to respiratory distress, patients with COVID-19 can experience blood clotting disorders that can lead to strokes, and extreme inflammation that attacks multiple organ systems.

The virus can also cause neurological complications that range from headache, dizziness and loss of taste or smell to seizures and confusion.

 

And recovery can be slow, incomplete and costly, with a huge impact on quality of life.

 

The broad and diverse manifestations of COVID-19 are somewhat unique, said Dr. Sadiya Khan, a cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

 

With influenza, people with underlying heart conditions are also at higher risk of complications, Khan said. What is surprising about this virus is the extent of the complications occurring outside the lungs.

 

Kahn believes there will be a huge healthcare expenditure and burden for individuals who have survived COVID-19.

 

LENGTHY REHAB FOR MANY

Patients who were in the intensive care unit or on a ventilator for weeks will need to spend extensive time in rehab to regain mobility and strength.

 

"It can take up to seven days for every one day that you're hospitalized to recover that type of strength," Kahn said. "It's harder the older you are, and you may never get back to the same level of function."

 

While much of the focus has been on the minority of patients who experience severe disease, doctors increasingly are looking to the needs of patients who were not sick enough to require hospitalization, but are still suffering months after first becoming infected.

 

Studies are just getting underway to understand the long-term effects of infection, Jay Butler, deputy director of infectious diseases at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters in a telephone briefing on Thursday.

 

"We hear anecdotal reports of people who have persistent fatigue, shortness of breath," Butler said. "How long that will last is hard to say."

 

While coronavirus symptoms typically resolve in two or three weeks, an estimated 1 in 10 experience prolonged symptoms, Dr. Helen Salisbury of the University of Oxford wrote in the British Medical Journal on Tuesday.

 

Salisbury said many of her patients have normal chest X-rays and no sign of inflammation, but they are still not back to normal.

 

"If you previously ran 5k three times a week and now feel breathless after a single flight of stairs, or if you cough incessantly and are too exhausted to return to work, then the fear that you may never regain your previous health is very real," she wrote.

 

Dr. Igor Koralnik, chief of neuro-infectious diseases at Northwestern Medicine, reviewed current scientific literature and found about half of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had neurological complications, such as dizziness, decreased alertness, difficulty concentrating, disorders of smell and taste, seizures, strokes, weakness and muscle pain.

 

Koralnik, whose findings were published in the Annals of Neurology, has started an outpatient clinic for COVID-19 patients to study whether these neurological problems are temporary or permanent.

 

Kahn sees parallels with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Much of the early focus was on deaths.

 

"In recent years, we've been very focused on the cardiovascular complications of HIV survivorship," Kahn said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-25

 

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11 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

 

"We thought this was only a respiratory virus. Turns out, it goes after the pancreas. It goes after the heart. It goes after the liver, the brain, the kidney and other organs. We didn't appreciate that in the beginning," said Dr. Eric Topol

And you believe this came from a food market? Yeah, right.

It's a potentially nasty piece of work... not just if you catch it and die, but also if you happen to be one of the unlucky or vulnerable or whatever ones who ends up with any number of long lingering post-illness disabilities.

“Just the flu.”

6 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

And you believe this came from a food market? Yeah, right.

What did the flatearthers tell you? 

6 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

It's a potentially nasty piece of work... not just if you catch it and die, but also if you happen to be one of the unlucky or vulnerable or whatever ones who ends up with any number of long lingering post-illness disabilities.

yeah, if you are one of the unfortunate people to get a serious case you will have serious issues for a while

The Spanish Flu pandemic in the early 20th Century caused a wide range of issues in those affected, so Covid-19 is not that different in that sense. After reviewing several post-mortems many of the experts of the day refused to believe that they were dealing with a flu. 
 

An Italian professor recently reported that the virus appears to be less intense and harmful than it was in March ... so let’s hope it just burns itself out.

9 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

And you believe this came from a food market? Yeah, right.

Putting aside conspiracies, we can be sure of one thing, it’s not as many claimed, a flu.

 

They've been grasping it since the beginning of April:

 

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/04/how-does-coronavirus-kill-clinicians-trace-ferocious-rampage-through-body-brain-toes#

 

 

 

Edited June 26, 20206 yr by Enoon

10 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

And you believe this came from a food market? Yeah, right.

Why not? HIV was likely rubbed off from monkeys. More chance of that than being engineered - which is way beyond us - to further the goal of the new world order etc. 

20 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Putting aside conspiracies, we can be sure of one thing, it’s not as many claimed, a flu.

And  putting aside  another many of the so  called  cures, the wearing of  masks and distancing, lockdowns should  all be up  in the air as to effectiveness until a  LOT of research has been done to see why Nations such as Thailand have fared very well, its certainly  not due to public  participation as  watch any Thai and they constantly touch their  mask which is a big  no no. many with it  only  half  on etc They go through the motions only.

There are  so many factors involved in the spread  rate.

 

 

14 day quarantine Let's go. I'm in. What's the hold up?

10 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

It's a potentially nasty piece of work... not just if you catch it and die, but also if you happen to be one of the unlucky or vulnerable or whatever ones who ends up with any number of long lingering post-illness disabilities.

and it only took them seven months to discover this?

4 hours ago, welovesundaysatspace said:

“Just the flu.”

You are misquoting Dr. Anthony Fauci. He wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine „severe seasonal influenza“ and not „just a flu“. 

35 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Why not? HIV was likely rubbed off from monkeys. More chance of that than being engineered - which is way beyond us - to further the goal of the new world order etc. 

what about the billions spent on germ warfare over the years?

51 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Putting aside conspiracies, we can be sure of one thing, it’s not as many claimed, a flu.

stone me chomper,never thought you,d do a post i agree with.

In the latest news from Israel that they have achieved success in tasting a vaccin on lab's animals that were infected with the virus and recovered fully when given the new vaccin, further testing needed before finally hitting the markets...

Don't worry, the election flu, er, COVID-19 will be over done with early November.

15 minutes ago, yuyiinthesky said:

You are misquoting Dr. Anthony Fauci. He wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine „severe seasonal influenza“ and not „just a flu“. 

Which version of Fauci?

7 minutes ago, ezzra said:

In the latest news from Israel that they have achieved success in tasting a vaccin on lab's animals that were infected with the virus and recovered fully when given the new vaccin, further testing needed before finally hitting the markets...

hope you,re right,as i,ve got cabin fever,but not holding my breath,every fortnight we hear about a wonder vaccine then nitto.

2 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

You are misquoting Dr. Anthony Fauci. He wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine „severe seasonal influenza“ and not „just a flu“. 

1. He didn’t call the virus a “severe seasonal influenza”. 
 

2. What’s the point bringing up an article that was written before doctors learned about the damage the virus can do? Don’t the doctors clearly say that “We thought this was only a respiratory virus. Turns out, it goes after (...)”?

Edited June 27, 20206 yr by welovesundaysatspace

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

In the latest news from Israel that they have achieved success in tasting a vaccin on lab's animals that were infected with the virus and recovered fully when given the new vaccin, further testing needed before finally hitting the markets...

Vaccines do not cure an illness. They prevent it.

14 hours ago, spiekerjozef said:

And you believe this came from a food market? Yeah, right.

No it came from an animal.

4 hours ago, Crazy Alex said:

Don't worry, the election flu, er, COVID-19 will be over done with early November.

That’s what Trump will say but you are more intelligent. 

1 minute ago, Eric Loh said:

That’s what Trump will say but you are more intelligent. 

Not a need to mention him in every thread 

People who have obesity, compared to those with a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:^5,6,7

• All-causes of death (mortality)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)
• Sleep apnea and breathing problems
• Many types of cancers external icon
• Low quality of life
• Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders^8,9
• Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning¹⁰

 

So good to know that everyone pays attention to the "dangers" of  getting c19 ......

Maybe a little more 24 hour publicity concerning the danger of not taking prudent care of

one's body EVERYDAY might help some ?

 

 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

And recovery can be slow, incomplete and costly, with a huge impact on quality of life.

 

another wet dream for big pharma & hospitals

 

a patient for life

 

still think this is from a silly bat ?

10 minutes ago, rumak said:

People who have obesity, compared to those with a healthy weight, are at increased risk for many serious diseases and health conditions, including the following:^5,6,7

• All-causes of death (mortality)
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (Dyslipidemia)
• Type 2 diabetes
• Coronary heart disease
• Stroke
• Gallbladder disease
• Osteoarthritis (a breakdown of cartilage and bone within a joint)
• Sleep apnea and breathing problems
• Many types of cancers external icon
• Low quality of life
• Mental illness such as clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders^8,9
• Body pain and difficulty with physical functioning¹⁰

 

So good to know that everyone pays attention to the "dangers" of  getting c19 ......

Maybe a little more 24 hour publicity concerning the danger of not taking prudent care of

one's body EVERYDAY might help some ?

 

 

and your favorite MD has a pill for each and one of them

 

so continue eating sugar like there is no tomorrow

5 hours ago, bodga said:

And  putting aside  another many of the so  called  cures, the wearing of  masks and distancing, lockdowns should  all be up  in the air as to effectiveness until a  LOT of research has been done to see why Nations such as Thailand have fared very well, its certainly  not due to public  participation as  watch any Thai and they constantly touch their  mask which is a big  no no. many with it  only  half  on etc They go through the motions only.

There are  so many factors involved in the spread  rate.

 

 

Not such a big no-no really. As more and more evidence comes in, it turns out that the virus is overwhelming contracted through the respiratory system. Research is still preliminary, but touch seems to be a minor conduit for the disease.

33 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Not a need to mention him in every thread 

But there was a need to invoke early November?