LONG COVID-A Post COVID Condition

Edited by, SAINADH REDDY

Post-COVID Conditions

Although most people with COVID-19 get better within weeks of illness, some people experience post-COVID conditions. Post-COVID conditions are a wide range of new, returning, or ongoing health problems people can experience more than four weeks after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Even people who did not have symptoms when they were infected can have post-COVID conditions. These conditions can have different types and combinations of health problems for different lengths of time.

What is long COVID..?

Long COVID is a condition wherein people continue to experience COVID-19 symptoms for longer than usual.

Most people recover from the acute phase of the disease. However, some people continue to experience a range of effects for months after recovery.

Cause:

It is currently unknown why most people recover fully within two to three weeks and others experience symptoms for weeks or months longer. Although the exact processes that cause long COVID remain unknown, a number of mechanisms have been suggested.

• Direct toxicity in virus infected tissue, especially the lungs
• Ongoing inflammation due to post-infection immune system dysregulation
• Vascular injury and ischemia caused by virus induced hypercoagulability and thromboses
• Impaired regulation of the renin-angiotensin system related to the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on ACE2 bearing tissue
• Permanent damage to the lungs and heart.

Risk factors

     According to a King's College London study initially posted on 21 October 2020 risk factors for long COVID may include:-

• Age – particularly those aged over 50

• Excess weight

• Asthma

• Reporting more than five symptoms (e.g. cough, fatigue, headache, diarrhea, loss of sense of smell) in the first week of COVID-19 infection; five is the median number reported
• Women are less likely to develop severe acute COVID but more likely to develop long COVID than men. Some research suggests this is primarily due to hormonal differences, while other research points suggests other factors, including chromosomal genetics, sex-dependent differences in immune system behavior, and non-biological factors may be relevant.

List of symptoms

Symptoms reported by people with long COVID include:-

• Extreme fatigue

• Long lasting cough

• Muscle weakness

• Low grade fever

• Inability to concentrate (brain fog)

• Memory lapses

• Changes in mood, sometimes accompanied by depression and      other mental health problems

• Sleep difficulties

• Headaches

• Joint pain

• Needle pains in arms and legs

• Diarrhea and bouts of vomiting

• Loss of taste and smell

• Sore throat and difficulties swallowing

• New onset of diabetes and hypertension

• Gastro-esophageal Reflux Disease

• Skin rash

• Shortness of breath

• Chest pains

• Palpitations

• Kidney problems (acute kidney injury, and chronic kidney disease)

• Changes in oral health (teeth, saliva, gums)

• Anosmia (lack of sense of smell)

• Parosmia (changes smells)

• Tinnitus

• Blood clotting (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism)

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