Most covid patients get through the disease with mild symptoms. However, some of these discomforts can be prolonged over time in what is now called chronic covid.
If Covid-19 raises many questions for sufferers because of its varied symptomatology, uncertainty is increased when some symptoms persist after months. There are numerous cases of people experiencing shortness of breath or fatigue weeks after covid-19 and studies are underway to understand the consequences of this disease.
One of the difficulties in understanding this chronic consequence of the disease is the number of symptoms and manifestations of Covid-19, which can also act in different ways on the body. Even if the early symptoms have been mild, damage to organs and tissues may persist and it is even estimated that an immune response may develop in the form of a syndrome..
The study Covid Symptom Studio developed in England by collecting symptomatology data in an app, has found that one in 45 people remain ill for at least 12 weeks.
Another barrier encountered by patients is the difficulty in associating these symptoms with covid-19. In many casespeople have gone through the disease process without leaving home or undergoing tests to confirm infection.. They have even experienced it without symptoms and therefore without knowing that they were suffering from Covid.
Of all persons infected with SARS-CoV-2, up to 40 per cent never develop symptoms and around 80 per cent of those with symptoms have mild disease. Fifteen percent require hospitalisation and an estimated 5 percent need care in an intensive care unit. The main problem with these patients is that they need treatment for respiratory failure.
Cases where chronic Covid is more likely to occur are:
- Those who have been in a very serious situation and hospitalised
- Those who have had several symptoms at the same time
- Those who have suffered from any of the symptoms in a very intense way
Researchers and specialists are seeing, however, that this chronic pathology can affect, albeit at a lower incidence, all people who have had Covid-19.
What are the chronic symptoms of covid-19?
The many and varied consequences of SASR-CoV-19 are being studied and, if one thing is clear, it is that covid-19 is not like a flu that goes away when symptoms subside. On the other hand, not all patients have all these chronic effects but each person is affected in a different way.. These are some of the symptoms of persistent covid:
The medical publisher MDS Manuals explains that "persistent damage to many organs or systems, including the lungs, heart, brain, kidneys and vascular system, has been documented in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2".
The most well-known persistent symptom is the chronic fatigueA state of tiredness, pain and general weakness that prevents patients from even getting out of bed. Sleep during the night is not restful and, in its most severe states, prevents patients from carrying out any activity of daily living.
Symptoms related to the respiratory system: shortness of breath that may be caused by vascular problems and damage to lung tissue. Shortness of breath, however, is a symptom that subsides.
Neurological symptoms: headache that is not as severe as that of the disease but may worsen with exercise and movement; lack of balance; attention and memory problems; or loss of smell and taste
Cardiac symptoms: blood pressure regulation problems that can lead to damage to the heart and the lining of blood vessels.
Other symptoms: as mentioned above, chronic fatigue and extreme tiredness, blurred vision or hair loss.
The causes of this damage can be found in:
- severe inflammatory responses
- thrombotic microangiopathy
- venous thromboembolism
- lack of oxygen. Even asymptomatic patients have presented with low blood oxygen concentration.
How do you know if you have covid-19 or have developed antibodies?
At Biosalud Day Hospital we have the most reliable tests of all those performed in analytical laboratories. Find out how you can access our antigen and antibody test, PRC test, Elisa test or Multidiagnostic PCR.
On the other hand, there are also consequences related to intensive care hospitalisation and mechanical ventilation. These symptoms range from muscle weakness to mental health disorders.
Post Covid syndrome has already been classified by the World Health Organisation in the International Classification of Diseases. The organisation warns that "patients need recognition that their sequelae are real".
*This is a general information article and is not a substitute for medical judgement. If you have any questions about your health, please consult a specialist.
