Long Covid: Little Is Known

[webfact]

 

By Silada Rojratanakiat

 

The risky behavior seen during the Songkran festival suggests that people are less worried about contracting Covid-19. It is a far cry from when the pandemic began. The virus no longer frightens people. Perhaps the seemingly constant flow of emergency notifications has reduced many people’s fear responses, allowing them to lower their guard, stop wearing masks, or even refuse potentially life-saving vaccines. People have, in a way, acquired antibodies against fear.

 

Indeed, most Covid-19 patients recover eventually, although complete healing remains frustratingly difficult because of what is commonly referred to as "Long Covid." If people are not afraid of infection since the presently prevailing Omicron variant is relatively mild, they should be mindful of the long Covid symptoms. Nearly two and a half years into the coronavirus pandemic, the confounding challenges of long Covid seem no closer to the solution, much less an agreed-upon explanation.

 

What is Long COVID?

 

There is currently no widely recognized definition of "Long Covid." The World Health Organization defines "post-Covid-19 condition" as symptoms that persist for at least two months after an initial episode of Covid-19 and cannot be explained by another diagnosis. These people with symptoms are known as "long haulers." Their symptoms are post-Covid-19 syndrome or long Covid. These conditions are sometimes referred to as post-Covid-19 conditions.

 

What are the symptoms?

 

Long covid has more than 200 symptoms. Some long haulers suffer from severe fatigue, shortness of breath, and bodily discomfort, while others have problems with memory and concentration or have lost their sense of smell or taste. Some people may develop severe illness later, most likely due to infection complications. Other symptoms may also be present, such as digestive issues, sleeplessness, and visual abnormalities. The severity of illnesses varies significantly as well. Some long haulers are able to go about their daily lives with minimal difficulty, while others may struggle.

 

What causes it?

 

There is no single unifying cause for long Covid. So far, there are more speculations than definitive answers as to what is happening. There is reason to assume that the varying constellation of symptoms in different long haulers may be driven by a variety of variables. The virus may still be present in certain people’s bodies, causing direct nerve or organ damage. Perhaps the virus’s persistent presence, or leftovers of the infection, keeps the immune system on high alert, generating the symptoms. Although the illness may have been vanquished, the immune system has been thrown off balance, causing it to attack the body, or there might be another explanation. It is hard to comprehend that sometimes a slight infection may generate terrible symptoms that last years.

I only had mild Covid symptoms. Can I get a long Covid?

 

A prevalent misconception is that long-term effects are only caused by severe sickness. It actually affects all groups and people, regardless of whether they had moderate or no symptoms or required ICU to survive. There is no connection between Covid symptoms, severity, and long Covid. The second fallacy stems from the mistaken idea that Long Covid is uncommon, which it is not. Anyone who falls unwell as a result of Covid-19 may develop post-Covid-19 symptoms.

 

Can I recover from it?

 

Even though the Covid-19 emergency seems to have passed, thousands of people may continue to experience long Covid. Long Covid, like Covid-19, does not have a particular treatment. Treatment choices for long Covid are determined by the individual’s clinical symptoms and any underlying diseases. While many Covid-19 survivors claim that these symptoms resolve within 2-3 months, some report that they persist for more extended periods. Some long haulers have been experiencing Long Covid for two years. However, if the symptoms make it difficult to do everyday tasks or if the body has new or worsening symptoms, medical attention is needed.

 

How can I prevent it?

 

Long Covid still symbolizes a perplexing plethora of issues after Covid-19 infections have cleared. A significant problem like Long Covid needs systemic solutions. However, in the meantime, you may avoid the long Covid by avoiding Covid in the first place. Avoiding infection with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, is the only definite method, and vaccination is the most effective technique for lowering the chance of contracting it and, more critically, reducing the probability of becoming very sick.

 

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The statistics from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel confirm that those vaccinated are less likely to have long Covid. A vaccine elicits significant levels of antibodies and T cells capable of identifying SARS-CoV-2. In that case, the immune system may be able to kill the virus during its first few replications before it forms hidden reservoirs in the body. Questions about long Covid still outnumber their answers. Nonetheless, one practical way to mitigate the impact is getting vaccinated and getting boosters as recommended.

 

-- © Copyright NNT 2022-04-23

 

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[CharlieH]

And now ANOTHER variation, "Long Covid" !

Wow the disease that keeps on giving.

 

And mankind will do what its always done, endure, adapt and overcome.

[vandeventer]

Many people and friends where I live have long covid. The covid is dead in them but the damage that covid has done just lingers on. The biggest problem is breathing months after they were given the all clear by the hospital.

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The risky behavior seen during the Songkran festival suggests that people are less worried about contracting Covid-19. It is a far cry from when the pandemic began. The virus no longer frightens people. Perhaps the seemingly constant flow of emergency notifications has reduced many people’s fear responses, allowing them to lower their guard, stop wearing masks, or even refuse potentially life-saving vaccines. People have, in a way, acquired antibodies against fear.

No... they need to work to continue living.... simple.

[RandiRona]

Anything long...Thailand has no clue...

 

[Lacessit]

My understanding from Australian data is "long COVID" affects 10-15% of people, and disproportionally affects the unvaccinated.

 

The main symptom seems to be excessive fatigue, which clears up in 3-6 months for most.

 

I have a friend here who contracted COVID, unvaccinated. His fatigue lasted about 2 months, he still admits to having concentration problems 6 months afterwards.

 

I was vaccinated twice before getting COVID, cleared in 3 days. Most vulnerable age group. The only after-effect I have is an increasing lack of patience with the beliefs of anti-vaxxers.

 

 

 

 

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, CharlieH said:

And now ANOTHER variation, "Long Covid" !

Wow the disease that keeps on giving.

 

And mankind will do what its always done, endure, adapt and overcome.

"Long COVID" has been known since the alpha variant of coronavirus kicked off the pandemic. Different variants apparently result in different symptoms, ranging from mild to severe.

It is not another variation, it's been there since the beginning.

It's also why COVID cannot be regarded as just another form of flu, which for the vast majority of people only lasts two weeks.

[BusyB]

9 hours ago, CharlieH said:

And now ANOTHER variation, "Long Covid" !

Wow the disease that keeps on giving.

 

And mankind will do what its always done, endure, adapt and overcome.

I know someone with long covid - it's compromising her ability to work in a country which has no sick pay and no unemployment benefit system. As a single mother it could see her on the streets if she can no longer pay the rent. She's worked hard all her life.

It's real, it ain't funny, and it's not the flu.

And it's a lot smarter than some posters on these threads.

[KhunLA]

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

I know someone with long covid - it's compromising her ability to work in a country which has no sick pay and no unemployment benefit system. As a single mother it could see her on the streets if she can no longer pay the rent. She's worked hard all her life.

It's real, it ain't funny, and it's not the flu.

And it's a lot smarter than some posters on these threads.

Was she vax'd ?

If so, before or after infected with virus ?

[sqwakvfr]

"A Covid patient battled the same infection for nearly 18 months, in what is believed to be the world's longest known continuous case. 

Scientists say the unidentified British patient — who eventually died — was severely immunocompromised."

 

I cannot imagine what this poor guy went through before he died...  My experience lasted only about 7 days and another 7 days of a lingering sore throat.  

[sqwakvfr]

I developed symptoms 5 days after getting my third Pfizer shot.  I tested positive two days later.  It just seems ironic.  

[placeholder]

On 4/23/2022 at 4:39 AM, CharlieH said:

And now ANOTHER variation, "Long Covid" !

Wow the disease that keeps on giving.

 

And mankind will do what its always done, endure, adapt and overcome.

Now? Where have you been?  Here are links to reports that are at least 2 years old:

 

https://healthmatters.nyp.org/long-covid-patients-experience-symptoms-one-year-later/

 

https://www.nicd.ac.za/diseases-a-z-index/disease-index-covid-19/long-covid/

 

https://news.sky.com/story/long-covid-the-debilitating-after-effects-of-coronavirus-12104961

 

 

[JCauto]

So how about my friend who has long COVID for just over a year now? Basically having to relearn all kinds of basic stuff, unable to get out of bed many days, minor setbacks that take weeks to recover from. She faking it? Why? 

Yes, she was unvaccinated having caught it in one of the early waves before the vaccines were widely available. No she was not antivax. Her life has fundamentally changed and will never be like it was before.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Some better info on the "Long COVID" pandemic:

 

Global data reveal half may have long COVID 4 months on

Apr 18, 2022

 

"Worldwide, 49% of COVID-19 survivors reported persistent symptoms 4 months after diagnosis, estimates a meta-analysis of 31 studies published late last week in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

...

Worldwide, estimated prevalence of long COVID was 37% (95% CI, 26% to 49%) 1 month after diagnosis, 25% (95% CI, 15% to 38%) at 2 months, 32% (95% CI, 14% to 57%) at 3 months, and 49% (95% CI, 40% to 59%) at 4 months.

...

The most common symptoms were fatigue (23%), followed by memory problems (14%), shortness of breath (13%), sleep problems (11%), and joint pain (10%)."

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/04/global-data-reveal-half-may-have-long-covid-4-months

 

AND

 

 

 

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

The hidden long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19

...

However, new research is now suggesting that there may be long-term neurologic consequences in those who survive COVID infections, including more than seven million Americans and another 27 million people worldwide.

 

Particularly troubling is increasing evidence that there may be mild — but very real — brain damage that occurs in many survivors, causing pervasive yet subtle cognitive, behavioral, and psychological problems.

...

There is one inevitable conclusion from these studies: COVID infection frequently leads to brain damage — particularly in those over 70. While sometimes the brain damage is obvious and leads to major cognitive impairment, more frequently the damage is mild, leading to difficulties with sustained attention."

 

(more)

 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-hidden-long-term-cognitive-effects-of-covid-2020100821133

 

 

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

What doctors wish patients knew about long COVID

...

"It is estimated that anywhere from 10% to 30% of patients might experience long COVID after recovering—even if they weren’t very sick in the first place.

...

“There's a whole slew of symptoms affecting a variety of organ systems,” Dr. Sanghavi said. “No organ system is spared from long COVID, just like how COVID affects all these organ systems during acute illness.”

...

Vaccination can prevent long COVID

Dr. Sanghavi:  “What is reassuring is that patients who were vaccinated, in those rare instances where they got a breakthrough infection those patients are 50% less likely to develop long COVID or post COVID syndrome.”

 

(more)

 

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/public-health/what-doctors-wish-patients-knew-about-long-covid

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

A 32 years old guy in my cycling team caught COVID early on before vaccines were available, while he’s back cycling again he’s still not recovered to anywhere near his former fitness and has had to retire from racing.

 

He rides at least 4 days a week and has for a number of years recorded his ride data on STRAVA.

 

All his data, speed, power, heart rate and times over measured distances are shot through, he is a shadow of the athlete he was before COVID.

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/23/2022 at 3:13 PM, Lacessit said:

My understanding from Australian data is "long COVID" affects 10-15% of people, and disproportionally affects the unvaccinated.

 

The main symptom seems to be excessive fatigue, which clears up in 3-6 months for most.

 

I have a friend here who contracted COVID, unvaccinated. His fatigue lasted about 2 months, he still admits to having concentration problems 6 months afterwards.

 

I was vaccinated twice before getting COVID, cleared in 3 days. Most vulnerable age group. The only after-effect I have is an increasing lack of patience with the beliefs of anti-vaxxers.

 

 

 

 

I have a friend who's "infection" was minor to the point of almost passing unnoticed, but he has some effect of "long covid" that is just getting tired more easily than before.

 

He was double vaxxed, but not yet due for the booster.

[thaibeachlovers]

On 4/25/2022 at 7:04 AM, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

The hidden long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19

...

However, new research is now suggesting that there may be long-term neurologic consequences in those who survive COVID infections, including more than seven million Americans and another 27 million people worldwide.

 

Particularly troubling is increasing evidence that there may be mild — but very real — brain damage that occurs in many survivors, causing pervasive yet subtle cognitive, behavioral, and psychological problems.

...

There is one inevitable conclusion from these studies: COVID infection frequently leads to brain damage — particularly in those over 70. While sometimes the brain damage is obvious and leads to major cognitive impairment, more frequently the damage is mild, leading to difficulties with sustained attention."

 

(more)

 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-hidden-long-term-cognitive-effects-of-covid-2020100821133

 

 

In many over 70s, including myself, some evidence of "brain damage" was evident, even without covid. ????

[questionsreplies]

yes, it was too complicated for most of you to behave smart and avoid it ! didn't want to keep distance ? Didnt want to wear the mask ? Enjoy your long covid ! The smartest ones among us never got covid and wil, never get it !