New studies reveal long-term effects of COVID-19
JACKSON, Tenn. — As states across the country rush to get vaccines out to citizens, more research is showing the true long-term effects of COVID-19.
“The most common type of long-term symptoms — even if you haven’t been hospitalized — that are coming to play is fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, chest pain, and even muscle pain and headaches, palpitations, fast pounding heart rate,” said Dr. Vinay Pallekonda, with the Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.
Pallekonda says patients 40 years and older are more likely to see long-term symptoms.
However, the amount of people who even had just a minor case, and are now having health effects months later, is staggering.
“What we are finding is that even the people who may not have been hospitalized, about 20% of them still can have symptoms three weeks out of it,” Pallekonda said.
The symptoms aren’t just physical. Mental issues, like anxiety and depression, have arisen in COVID-patients, especially those who were in intensive care at one point.
“They looked at patients out in the Wuhan province and followed them out for six months. They showed that 76% of the patients reported at least one symptom six months later,” Pallekonda said.
If you aren’t having any symptoms, you probably don’t need to get checked out. But if you are still having symptoms, don’t delay in getting a check up.
“Close followup is key. Getting in to see your cardiologist if you’re having heart issues, getting to see your primary care physician, getting to see your pulmonologist if you’re having shortness of breath issues,” Pallekonda said.
And there’s the obvious truth: We are still less than a year out from when COVID-19 started to spread throughout the United States. And we will be deciphering this puzzle for years to come.
“The more studies we can do about it, the long-term effects, and the long-term haul of this virus will be elucidated,” Pallekonda said.
Pallekonda says symptoms can even involve your blood.
“It can travel through the bloodstream system, cross the blood brain barrier into the brain. We know that there is a big inflammatory response to the virus, but the inflammation itself can maybe self propagate and injure some organs,” Pallekonda said.
Pallekonda says the most common long-term symptoms — fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle pain, and others — are more common in older patients, and those who had a more severe case.
“People that are younger, in their 20s and 30s, maybe lingering effects, or not that much. But the 40s to 50s, greater than 50s, the more the percentage of people that do have lingering symptoms,” Pallekonda said.
And now, there’s another twist. Some of the more common long-term symptoms for those who had a severe case are those we can’t easily detect.
“We’re now starting to find out they may have PTSD, they may have depression, they may have difficulty concentrating. It is still new. There are a lot of studies that are ongoing. I think there are a lot more questions than there are answers,” Pallekonda said.
If you’re not experiencing any long-term symptoms, you probably don’t have to be concerned. But Pallekonda says you need to be vigilant and be careful if you do.
“Follow those symptoms that you’re having, check in with your doctor, have them look at everything,” Pallekonda said. “Even though we get it in a respiratory fashion, and we know that it affects the lungs, we know that it can affect many many different organs.”
If you have had COVID-19 and start to experience any of these symptoms, healthcare professionals say you should schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible.
