Sharon,
Nobody knows. We’re just guessing. As of September 2020 we have no long-term experience with this disease.
“COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. The virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, which increases the risk of long-term health problems.”[1]
“The list of lingering maladies from COVID-19 is longer and more varied than most doctors could have imagined. Ongoing problems include fatigue, a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, achy joints, foggy thinking, a persistent loss of sense of smell, and damage to the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.”[2] [3]
In some populations, long-haul survivors are a significant percentage of total surviving patients. “Thirty-five percent of patients surveyed by the agency said they still weren't back to their usual good health even two to three weeks after testing positive for the disease. The rest said they'd returned to their usual state of health five to 12 days after a positive test.”[4]
Other processes are also going on, however. [5] [6] Personally, I suspect the “asymptomatic” carrier might be OK for awhile, only to discover silent organ damage later in life. That’s just a hunch. However, since none of us anywhere have more than 1 year’s experience dealing with this disease, all is speculation.
is a not for profit, grassroots movement educating and mobilizing COVID-19 survivors and connecting them with the medical, scientific and academic research community, to help stem the tide of this pandemic and assist in the national recovery.”[7]
I just joined this group on Facebook and find the posts extraordinary. Very educational! One of the things that comes across immediately is that Covid-19 symptoms seem to be unique to each infected individual. Some patients never have a fever and have difficulty getting their insurance to cover because they can’t get tested in their area without one. (Egad!)
-Jeff
Additional Long-hauler videos are HERE: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=covid+19+survivors+share+their+symptoms
Footnotes
[3] Covid Citizen Science | LongCovid
[4] The US needs to talk about long-term coronavirus symptoms, a doctor and a patient say
[5] Doctor's Note: Can the coronavirus reactivate?
[6] No one knows why these Covid-19 patients’ symptoms keep relapsing
Gwan,
No.
Apparent survival, we should say. World leaders are a cagey bunch and not likely to publicize their health failings. Perceived strength is very important to their image.
Folks are more influenced by the survival of friends and families than world leaders, who have access to all sorts of special health benefits associated with their status. Fears of long-term problems are increasing as Covid-19 “long-haulers” give voice to their experiences.[1]
Physical and mental ailments have some things in common. Just as Covid-19 severity is often linked to pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure, the fear factor for Covid-19 may be heightened in cases where health anxiety already exists. One study found that “anxiety-related individual differences, looking up information about the coronavirus outbreak, and risks for loved ones were positively related to increased fear of the coronavirus.”[2]
The psychological impact of Covid-19 should not be underestimated. “The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic recession have negatively affected many people’s mental health and created new barriers for people already suffering from mental illness and substance use disorders.”[3]
Long after the Covid-19 virus itself has been effectively disposed, the psycho-social trauma associated with high Covid-19 fear factor will remain in the world population. The Covid-19 fear factor will probably raise the general level of health anxiety and increase the percentage of people preoccupied with their health.
Here’s an interesting (rather long) webinar on Covid-19 psychology. The close-caption option [cc] is available if needed.
-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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