COVID Long haulers

[NWRatCon]

As the COVID-19 pandemic matures and spreads, a new phenomenon is emerging. They are called "Long haulers" or "COVID survivors" - people who were struck by the virus, but survived the worst outcome. COVID long haulers: I caught coronavirus in March. I still haven't fully recovered. (USA Today).

At 45, I was at the healthiest I’ve ever been, exercising regularly and I have no-preconditions of any kind. The thing is, I didn’t even have that bad a case of COVID. I had an average “Tylenol and Gatorade” version and I recovered at home, isolated in my bedroom.

When I emerged from 18 days of isolation, I ran off to immediately donate my antibody-rich plasma and sign up for every study for which I qualified. I was still tired and, even though my night-owl reputation had always been for outlasting brides and grooms at their own weddings, by 7 p.m. I was counting down the minutes until I could go to bed. My stomach issues never resolved but I was generally OK, until the summer came and I had a resurgence of symptoms so severe that the nausea sent me to an urgent care clinic, where they insisted on giving me a diagnostic test — I presented as that symptomatic even though I had “recovered” months earlier.
....
Many young healthy people with no preexisting conditions are skeletal shadows of their former selves; they are suffering heart attacks, strokes and a host of new health complications that can leave them tethered to heart monitors and more. Neurological impact has left survivors unable to find their words, forgetful and unsure about returning to jobs that require critical decision making. The term “brain fog” is used often among our members. They are months into their COVID journey, but they are no closer to answers; other than a slew of new diagnoses they are met with blank stares and few solutions from their doctors.

As Their Numbers Grow, COVID-19 “Long Haulers” Stump Experts (JAMA):

“Anecdotally, there’s no question that there are a considerable number of individuals who have a postviral syndrome that really, in many respects, can incapacitate them for weeks and weeks following so-called recovery and clearing of the virus,” Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in July during a COVID-19 webinar organized by the International AIDS Society.

That appeared to be the case with the first severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which emerged in 2002 and was also caused by a coronavirus. Some people who were hospitalized with SARS still had impaired lung function 2 years after their symptoms began, according to a prospective study of 55 patients in Hong Kong. But only 8096 people were diagnosed with SARS worldwide—a fraction of the COVID-19 cases reported each day in the US alone.

In a recent JAMA research letter, 125 of 143 Italian patients ranging in age from 19 to 84 years still experienced physician-confirmed COVID-19–related symptoms an average of 2 months after their first symptom emerged. All had been hospitalized, with their stays averaging about 2 weeks; 80% hadn’t received any form of ventilation.

COVID 'long haulers' suffer symptoms weeks, months later (AP); The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers (Nature).

This is one aspect of this disease that keeps me up at night. Especially considering that probably no more than 10% of the population has contracted the disease.

 

[Chomsky]

As the COVID-19 pandemic matures and spreads, a new phenomenon is emerging. They are called "Long haulers" or "COVID survivors" - people who were struck by the virus, but survived the worst outcome. COVID long haulers: I caught coronavirus in March. I still haven't fully recovered. (USA Today).
As Their Numbers Grow, COVID-19 “Long Haulers” Stump Experts (JAMA):

COVID 'long haulers' suffer symptoms weeks, months later (AP); The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers (Nature).

This is one aspect of this disease that keeps me up at night. Especially considering that probably no more than 10% of the population has contracted the disease.

Chris Cuomo believes he's one, and he did a segment on it with another long-hauler guest. He's been free several months, but still has lingering effects. Ditto, for one of his CNN co-workers.

 

[year2late]

I hate this friggen disease.

It is still filling our ICUs. We usually have a Summer lull and we have been at or near capacity . And we are coming up on flu season.

And on a selfish note.....over 6 months in and we are still using N95s for weeks at a time.

 

[Gaius46]

My daughter in law is one. She’s 30 years old and was in very good health - had just begun working as a flight attendant before the pandemic.

Contracted Covid in early June, was sick with it for 3 weeks but even now 3 months virus free she is weak to the point where she can’t work and even taking a 10 minute walk sends her back to bed for the rest of the day. Working with her doctor to slowly get her strength and endurance back but he’s warned her it is going to be months.

 

[Gaius46]

I hate this friggen disease.

It is still filling our ICUs. We usually have a Summer lull and we have been at or near capacity . And we are coming up on flu season.

And on a selfish note.....over 6 months in and we are still using N95s for weeks at a time.

I’ve never gotten a flu shot in my 59 years on this planet. Have gotten the flu a couple of times and simply slept it off.

Not this year. Wife came into my office just now to aske I wanted her to schedule a flu shot me when she got hers. “Yes”.

 

[RAMOSS]

As the COVID-19 pandemic matures and spreads, a new phenomenon is emerging. They are called "Long haulers" or "COVID survivors" - people who were struck by the virus, but survived the worst outcome. COVID long haulers: I caught coronavirus in March. I still haven't fully recovered. (USA Today).
As Their Numbers Grow, COVID-19 “Long Haulers” Stump Experts (JAMA):

COVID 'long haulers' suffer symptoms weeks, months later (AP); The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers (Nature).

This is one aspect of this disease that keeps me up at night. Especially considering that probably no more than 10% of the population has contracted the disease.

Someone I knew (who had cirulatory problems) had covid 19 in March, and last week, she passed away, at age 63. I know she had lasting symptoms after she was cleared of the virus, and I have to wonder if the damage covid 19 did to her was a contributing factor in her passing. She had been in an nursing home for the last couple of years from health issues., but still. it is something that I am wondering about. Even if it was, I doubt that her passing was counted to the death toll of the disease.

 

[NWRatCon]

Someone I knew (who had cirulatory problems) had covid 19 in March, and last week, she passed away, at age 63. I know she had lasting symptoms after she was cleared of the virus, and I have to wonder if the damage covid 19 did to her was a contributing factor in her passing. She had been in an nursing home for the last couple of years from health issues., but still. it is something that I am wondering about. Even if it was, I doubt that her passing was counted to the death toll of the disease.

Genuinely sorry to hear about her passing. I think your suspicion is warranted. I'm sure that there are many "excess deaths" that COVID-19 is responsible for that will never be directly attributed to it. Experienced epidemiologists and statisticians have estimated that the actual toll is 28% higher than the records indicate, based on differential analysis.

 

[year2late]

Genuinely sorry to hear about her passing. I think your suspicion is warranted. I'm sure that there are many "excess deaths" that COVID-19 is responsible for that will never be directly attributed to it. Experienced epidemiologists and statisticians have estimated that the actual toll is 28% higher than the records indicate, based on differential analysis.

Especially earlier in the Pandemic.

 

[screenwriter]

As the COVID-19 pandemic matures and spreads, a new phenomenon is emerging. They are called "Long haulers" or "COVID survivors" - people who were struck by the virus, but survived the worst outcome. COVID long haulers: I caught coronavirus in March. I still haven't fully recovered. (USA Today).
As Their Numbers Grow, COVID-19 “Long Haulers” Stump Experts (JAMA):

COVID 'long haulers' suffer symptoms weeks, months later (AP); The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers (Nature).

This is one aspect of this disease that keeps me up at night. Especially considering that probably no more than 10% of the population has contracted the disease.

As the COVID-19 pandemic matures and spreads, a new phenomenon is emerging. They are called "Long haulers" or "COVID survivors" - people who were struck by the virus, but survived the worst outcome. COVID long haulers: I caught coronavirus in March. I still haven't fully recovered. (USA Today).
As Their Numbers Grow, COVID-19 “Long Haulers” Stump Experts (JAMA):

COVID 'long haulers' suffer symptoms weeks, months later (AP); The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers (Nature).

This is one aspect of this disease that keeps me up at night. Especially considering that probably no more than 10% of the population has contracted the disease.

78% of p

As the COVID-19 pandemic matures and spreads, a new phenomenon is emerging. They are called "Long haulers" or "COVID survivors" - people who were struck by the virus, but survived the worst outcome. COVID long haulers: I caught coronavirus in March. I still haven't fully recovered. (USA Today).
As Their Numbers Grow, COVID-19 “Long Haulers” Stump Experts (JAMA):

COVID 'long haulers' suffer symptoms weeks, months later (AP); The lasting misery of coronavirus long-haulers (Nature).

This is one aspect of this disease that keeps me up at night. Especially considering that probably no more than 10% of the population has contracted the disease.

I work in a very small 16-bed free standing ER. We are seeing many "long haulers" returning with post-Covid symptoms. Covid is not a respiratory disease - it is as vascular disease. As a vascular disease it can attack any part of the body with blood flow - which - guess what - is the entire body. 78% of people with Covid (with or without symptoms) have been found to have heart damage. We've had a 31 year old male who was a marathon runner collapsed with stroke-like symptoms when he attempted to resume his routine exercises 6 weeks after having Covid. 14 year old girl who crashed within 30 minutes of arrival with a D-diamer (google it) so high we couldn't even get a measurement on it. She had to be transported out to a hospital in a mobile ICU unit. We are seeing cases of Covid induced Rhabdomyolysis with CK blood levels 1000 fold above normal range. We've had cases of "Covid toes" - one case in a 3 month old baby. This is a disease to be taken seriously. Covid also causes a production of Hyaluronic acid in the lungs - the cause of respiratory distress (Low O2 saturation/blue lips/Shortness of Breath). All this information is available online.

 

[NWRatCon]

78% of p



I work in a very small 16-bed free standing ER. We are seeing many "long haulers" returning with post-Covid symptoms. Covid is not a respiratory disease - it is as vascular disease. As a vascular disease it can attack any part of the body with blood flow - which - guess what - is the entire body. 78% of people with Covid (with or without symptoms) have been found to have heart damage. We've had a 31 year old male who was a marathon runner collapsed with stroke-like symptoms when he attempted to resume his routine exercises 6 weeks after having Covid. 14 year old girl who crashed within 30 minutes of arrival with a D-diamer (google it) so high we couldn't even get a measurement on it. She had to be transported out to a hospital in a mobile ICU unit. We are seeing cases of Covid induced Rhabdomyolysis with CK blood levels 1000 fold above normal range. We've had cases of "Covid toes" - one case in a 3 month old baby. This is a disease to be taken seriously. Covid also causes a production of Hyaluronic acid in the lungs - the cause of respiratory distress (Low O2 saturation/blue lips/Shortness of Breath). All this information is available online.

Thank you for that, and a belated welcome to the board.