It's nice to see the high number of those recovered from Covid-19. Is there any reason why we, here in the US, have not been informed enough about "Covid-19 sequelae"?
John,
“Sequelae” do not develop during the first year of a disease. We only have about 8 months of experience with Covid-19.
Long-term effects of Covid-19 will not be properly reported for about a decade, because that is how long it is going to take to evaluate those who survived, not “recovered” from the initial active Covid-19 infection.
“It is too soon to say if the damage in patients recovering from Covid-19 is transient or permanent, but cardiologists are worried.”[1]
-Jeff
Footnotes
Jen,
Yes.
Sadly, although patients survive the initial active Covid-19 infection, few recover completely. “Asymptomatic” Covid-19 may also be a misnomer.[1] “Long-termers” face prolonged battles with months of lingering symptoms. However, some who never experience severe symptoms—or any at all—may nonetheless have hidden organ damage.
Based on the symptoms, it was first thought that Covid-19 was a respiratory disease, primarily affecting the lungs.[2] Turns out, it’s not. It is a cardiovascular whole-system invader.[3] Covid-19 can cause clotting throughout your body,[4][5] as well as attach itself to receptors on various body organs.[6] [7]
(image from footnote 2)
Heart-related problems are often hidden. The patient may not be aware anything is wrong. “COVID-19–related myocarditis is thought to be a combination of direct viral injury and cardiac damage due to the host’s immune response”[8] The Covid-19 survivor may have none of the common warning signs of heart trouble before having fatal complications.[9]
“The danger, medical experts say, comes when athletes do not even realize they have developed myocarditis without proper screening.”[10]
As of August 2020, we don’t yet have a clear picture of the percentage of exposed patients that have hidden symptoms or conditions that may recur later in life. It could be that 100% of Covid-19 positive people have these sorts of “silent” conditions even though they are apparently quite healthy. Could be nobody infected with Covid-19 gets off without facing some consequences … eventually.
-Jeff
Footnotes
Bhushan,
Possibly. We are still trying to understand this virus and have a long ways to go.
“…people who recover from Covid-19 will typically be protected from another case for some amount of time.”[1] How long? We don’t know.
While scientists can distinguish between new infections and the recurring relapses of “long-haulers,”[2] patients themselves may not see the difference. Physicians may not see reinfection unless they are looking for it. Patients may not report it as such.
“…with only two examples, [maybe 4[3] as of early September 2020] it is still unclear how frequently reinfections occur. And with 26 million known coronavirus infections worldwide so far, a few reinfections might not be cause to worry…”[4] Laboratories worldwide will be better able to identify and learn from cases of reinfection as rapid tests for Covid-19 proliferate in the future.
Having Covid-19 and “recovering” from it does not guarantee that patients will not experience relapses. For the immune system, the results of the initial infection may be more complicated than simple temporary immunity.
The best course of action is not to get infected in the first place. Take precautions and stay safe!
-Jeff
Footnotes
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