Long-term Effects and Risks of COVID-19

Covid-19Long-term RisksRisks
Written By Humayra Ali

The Young and the Restless Aren’t Invincible: Long-Term Risks of COVID-19 in Younger People Can be Debilitating

Covid-19 Face Mask

You may have survived the pandemic because you are young, but you could be dealing with the lasting damages of COVID-19. A lot of younger folks, who may be athletic and had no pre-existing conditions, are facing long-term effects of the coronavirus infection. Even 5 to 6 months post-COVID-19, these people are facing symptoms such as:

  • Not being able to walk without going out of breath

  • Shortness of breath

  • Chronic lung injury

  • Excruciating headaches

  • Digestive issues

  • Congested sinuses

  • Racing heart

  • Chest pain

  • Lingering fever

  • Fatigue

  • Body aches

  • Cognitive or neurological issues (including neuropathy, poor coordination, and brain fog)

  • Back pain

  • Bleeding from nail beds

  • Skin peeling off

  • Hair loss (in clumps)

Despite being on all types of medications (eg, nebulizers, antibiotics, inhalers), none seemed to have helped quite a few of these younger victims. Some described that they are living in a body that they no longer recognize. Some said it was “torturous.” Some lost the ability to take care of their children. Some said that it was the hardest and the scariest thing ever. Some said breathing made their lungs feel “on fire.” A study in China found heart damage in 12% of patients who recovered from the infection and did not have respiratory issues. Although some experienced chest pain regardless of having normal lung X-ray and EKG. Some even felt they were much older when in fact they were only in their 40s. Brain fog can be so severe that they may not remember simple words or items from a grocery list. Typically, they will suffer from a combination of multiple symptoms listed above, not just one or two. These folks are calling themselves “long haulers.”

Long-term effects of Covid-19

Now that the COVID-19 curve has flattened, New York is facing a new crisis: managing the survivors with long-term symptoms of the disease. Even those who have developed the antibodies (immune protection) against the virus long after the infection has cleared, continued to be sick without much improvement. Getting appropriate medical care for these lingering symptoms has been challenging for these post-COVID-19 people. Physicians simply don’t know how to manage these patients, other than giving Tylenol or pushing fluids. Some of these folks were dismissed with the idea that they were suffering from depression and/or anxiety.

Only recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acknowledged the prevalence of COVID-19 long haulers. In a survey of 292 people who tested positive for coronavirus, 35% did not go back to their “normal” state of health 2-3 weeks after the test. 20% of those responders were 18-34 years of age with no previous chronic medical conditions.

So, if you clear the virus from your system and you are exhibiting these long-term effects, what’s causing them? The prevailing theory is that the body’s overactive immune response, which is spiked to fight off the infection, inadvertently ends up causing damage to the vital organs. Some people may spike a more aggressive immune response than others. An aggressive immune response can do more damage in some people and less in others. When the damage is long-lasting, it may lead to persistent symptoms. The worst could be permanent organ damage from the infection, which could lead to lifelong symptoms.

The CDC’s study was used as a model showing that as many as 1.8 million Americans could have long-lasting symptoms in the coming months and years. Experts believe that this is a crisis on top of COVID-19 that no one is prepared for. Given this grim scenario, do your part to fight COVID-19. 

Do Your Part to Fight COVID-19: Mask Up, Follow Physical Distancing

Experts claim avoiding close contact is the key to slowing coronavirus. It's going to take a commitment from everyone to do their part to contain the spread of COVID-19 until we have an effective vaccine. You can read about the latest updates on COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccine distribution plan in the US in our other blog posts. At the end of the day, COVID-19 is now affecting both the young and the elderly. We can contain the spread of this virus by taking the precautions that we now know work--mask up and maintain stoical distancing.

Be part of the fight against COVID-19.

Simple Covid-19 Precautions (graphic courtesy of VaxTherapy)

Simple Covid-19 Precautions (graphic courtesy of VaxTherapy)

Humayra Ali
Previous

Getting Tested for Coronavirus Before Traveling
Next

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plan