The coronavirus pandemic is slowing down at the moment as coronavirus cases continue to drop across the world.
- However, doctors are still expressing concern over another type of COVID-19 symptoms — long COVID.
What’s happening: COVID-19 survivors across the world are feeling long-term side effects from their coronavirus infection, which has been deemed “long COVID.”
What they’re saying: “Many people with mild symptoms recover fully from COVID-19 after a few weeks, especially those who are vaccinated,” Sean Marchese, a registered nurse with The Mesothelioma Center, told Eat This, Not That!
- “However, Long COVID may cause some effects to persist for four weeks or more. Long COVID often manifests in older people or those with serious medical conditions but can occur in young, otherwise healthy individuals as well.”
Symptoms: Marchese said there are telling signs you have long COVID-19 that can start once you’ve recovered from your original sickness.
- “You will likely know once you start to feel better that you are recovering from COVID. However, some symptoms—such as cough, loss of smell or taste, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and muscle pains—can linger for weeks or months after major symptoms subside. The severity of symptoms will differ for each person, so it’s important to seek medical attention if any symptoms persist or worsen more than a few days after they begin.”
Factors to consider: A recent study published in the medical journal Cell found that there are four factors that can be a sign of long COVID, including:
- The viral load in your blood.
- The presence of autoantibodies, which often fight the virus.
- Whether or not a patient has type 2 diabetes.
- The reactivation of the Epstein-Barr virus.