Length COVID-19 it is now an established, and deeply concerning, result of contracting the COVID-19 virus. People with prolonged COVID can experience debilitating symptoms long after they “recover” from the infection, and the consequences are far reaching. “This is not a sprain or strain where someone rolls their ankle and we know that in x number of months, they’ll be at this point.” says Roberta Etcheverry, CEO of Diversified Management Group, a disability management consulting firm. “It’s not: someone was helping move a patient, and they hurt their back, and they can’t do that kind of work anymore. They need to do something else.” Here are five warning signs of prolonged COVID, according to experts. Read on and to ensure your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure signs you’ve already had COVID.
Long-term chronic fatigue is one of the most common signs of prolonged COVID, doctors warn. “It’s been shocking” says Alex Truong, M.D.. “He had never seen, with other infections, such widespread symptoms throughout the body for so long.”
Ongoing brain fog could be a symptom of prolonged COVID. “We found that even mild COVID can cause prominent inflammation in the brain that dysregulates brain cells and is expected to contribute to cognitive decline.” says Michelle Monje, MD, PhD, professor of neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Research shows that people can experience depression and anxiety a full year after being infected with COVID-19. “Most of us experienced some form of mental anguish during the pandemic, but this shows that people with COVID-19 were at much higher risk of mental health disorders than their contemporaries.” says Ziyad Al-Aly, a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis and chief of research for the VA St. Louis health care system.. “It’s a wake-up call.”
Millions of people still experience changes in taste and smell after contracting COVID-19.
“Having these millions more people around the world with decreased ability to smell, that may just be a new public health crisis.” says rhinologist Dr. Zara Patel.
“They tend to be distressed by the loss of their sense of smell. It’s a very important part of our day-to-day lives and what makes us human,” says rhinologist Dr. Aria Jafari. “The most common thing I hear is that it leads to social isolation and feeling disconnected from the world and society as you know it. And that can be really upsetting.”
Insomnia and other sleep disturbances have been reported to be signs of prolonged COVID. “Sleep disorders are one of the most common symptoms of patients who have had COVID-19”, says sleep medicine specialist Cinthya Pena Orbea, MD. “They report insomnia, fatigue, brain fog, and sometimes we even see circadian rhythm disturbances.” Aand to protect your life and that of others, do not visit any of these 35 places where you are most likely to get COVID.
Ferozan Mast
Ferozan Mast is a science, health, and wellness writer who is passionate about making information backed by science and research accessible to a general audience. read more
