Mary Van Beusekom, MS Study published in Nature Medicine Study published in BMC Public Health I have suffered from Covid-19 but wasn't hospitalised and I still feel the "aftereffects". Impaired...
Mary Van Beusekom, MS
A pair of new studies describe the risks associated with long COVID, with one showing a significantly elevated risk of death among patients who required hospitalization and another finding an increased risk of health problems, functional limitations, and worse well-being after 1 year.
Study published in Nature Medicine
Researchers from the Veterans Affairs Saint Louis Health Care System followed 138,818 US veterans during their COVID-19 infections and 5,985,227 of their uninfected peers for 2 years to estimate their risk of death and 80 long-COVID symptoms.
Among hospitalized veterans, risks at 2 years after infection remained increased for 65% of long-COVID signs and symptoms, including those involving the
Cardiovascular (57%),
Coagulation and Hematologic (80%),
Endocrine (100%),
Gastrointestinal (82%),
Renal (75%),
Musculoskeletal (75%),
Neurologic (60%),
Pulmonary (100%) systems and
for Mental health symptoms (38%).
The findings suggest that the risk horizon... is further prolonged among hospitalized individuals—highlighting the importance of reducing risk of hospitalization among people with SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Study published in BMC Public Health
Robert Koch Institute researchers in Germany conducted a multicenter study on adult COVID-19 patients' health 1 to 1.5 years after their 2020 infection. Of 4,817 participants, 350 (7.3%) had COVID-19 at baseline, and 4,467 were uninfected at baseline or during follow-up.
Infected participants more often reported 7 of 18 recurrent or persistent symptoms at follow-up, including
Impaired smell or taste (12.8% vs 3.4%; odds ratio [OR], 4.11),
Shortness of breath (23.0% vs 9.5%; OR, 3.46),
Pain with breathing (4.7% vs 1.9%; OR, 2.36),
Fatigue (36.9% vs 26.1%; OR, 1.76),
Leg weakness (12.8% vs 7.8%; OR, 1.93),
Muscle or joint pain (21.9% vs 15.1%; OR, 1.53), and
Cough (30.8% vs 24.8%; OR, 1.34).
Post-COVID patients also were more likely to report 3 of 6 groups of new-onset diseases, including those of the
Liver or kidneys (2.7% vs 0.9%; OR, 3.70),
Lung (3.2% vs 1.1%; OR, 3.50), and
Cardiovascular or metabolic (6.5% vs 4.0%; OR, 1.68) systems.
The results point to considerable long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on health and well-being among adults with a mainly mild course of acute infection.
I have suffered from Covid-19 but wasn't hospitalised and I still feel the "aftereffects".
Impaired smell or taste (in the beginning but about OK now)
Shortness of breath (still)
Pain with breathing (no pain but feel congestion at times)
Fatigue (still)
Leg weakness (still)
Muscle or joint pain (oh, boy! yes)
Cough (not normally, but seems more defined than before even for milder infections)
Covid-19 is a shared destiny of our generation. There must many here who have suffered from this. Do you have these symptoms? How has it affected your lives? How are you coping? I'm not talking about the changes we saw in the world or experienced collectively but those that affected us as individuals. I can easily draw a line and demarcate pre and post Covid-19 way of life personally.
'Long Covid' person checking in. It's life changing. I could list a large number of symptoms, but I find it's insufficient to convey just how unwell I feel: there is something malfunctioning at...
'Long Covid' person checking in. It's life changing. I could list a large number of symptoms, but I find it's insufficient to convey just how unwell I feel: there is something malfunctioning at the most basic level, with collateral consequences for every bodily system, affecting them in different ways and in themselves generating new illness and dysfunction. The energy required for moving in an ordinary way cannot be delivered without sending me back to bed for at least a month. I'm back at work now, I can amble around. I can walk up stairs very slowly, taking rests along the way. But if I move in the ordinary way for thirty seconds, the game is up. Last time this happened I was out of the Office for three months.
How am I coping? After having rested to a point where I wasn't getting symptoms all of the time (around 8 months in), I found my intensity window, and have been training myself to do everything in slow motion to avoid crippling symptoms. I've adjusted, but the hardest part is to ingrain the practice against the more autonomous impulses. Dinner burning in the oven? Learned the hard way to let it burn. Freezing my ass off or being caught in a thunderstorm? Don't increase pace. Getting in the way of people? Be more aware so you can sideline yourself before blocking them. I scream internally for exercise every day, I just want to move. I even have dreams where I either obey my movement limitations or knowingly break free of them and sprint with joy in some imaginary place.
The other way I am coping is by not going on Long Covid internet forums, but checking them very occasionally in case anyone's found any affordable and accessible treatments - and I've found some leads I am trying. Also, digging deeper into post viral syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome research (of which Long Covid may just be a manifestation). Gentle exercise, such as stretching, breathing exercises, or yoga for the elderly or hospitalised patients, is still satisfying. I am also experimenting with diets and fasting, and working on my attitude towards my illness. These things are helping, but progress is glacial...it's frustrating as I feel that the longer that I am stuck within this, the greater the risk of some other disease which is worse than my current predicament.
Yes, sadly forums dedicated to groups with a problem tend to devolve into pity parties and toxic discussion. I'm glad to hear you're figuring things out and wish that we can find a cure for your...
The other way I am coping is by not going on Long Covid internet forums
Yes, sadly forums dedicated to groups with a problem tend to devolve into pity parties and toxic discussion. I'm glad to hear you're figuring things out and wish that we can find a cure for your disease.
This reminds me I should be thankful that after 1 (maybe 2) covid infections I never had symptoms past 3 weeks of recovering. Granted, I didn't get sick until after I was fully vaccinated...
This reminds me I should be thankful that after 1 (maybe 2) covid infections I never had symptoms past 3 weeks of recovering. Granted, I didn't get sick until after I was fully vaccinated (quarantining works!).
Some more important context: I do wonder whether this demographic makeup affects its applicability to those who are young and/or non-male. Also, this reaffirms that severe cases (i.e. those...
Some more important context:
The average age of the COVID-19 group was 60.9 years, and 11.4% were women. In the control group, the average age was 62.8 years, and 9.9% were women. Median follow-up time was 715 days in the infected group and 719 in the control group.
I do wonder whether this demographic makeup affects its applicability to those who are young and/or non-male.
The increased risk of death was not significant beyond 6 months after infection among nonhospitalized veterans but was significantly elevated through 2 years in those admitted to the hospital. A total of 69% and 35% of the 80 long-COVID signs and symptoms became nonsignificant 2 years after infection in nonhospitalized and hospitalized veterans, respectively.
Also, this reaffirms that severe cases (i.e. those requiring hospitalization) are the ones leading to the most severe outcomes.
Mary Van Beusekom, MS
Study published in Nature Medicine
Study published in BMC Public Health
I have suffered from Covid-19 but wasn't hospitalised and I still feel the "aftereffects".
Covid-19 is a shared destiny of our generation. There must many here who have suffered from this. Do you have these symptoms? How has it affected your lives? How are you coping? I'm not talking about the changes we saw in the world or experienced collectively but those that affected us as individuals. I can easily draw a line and demarcate pre and post Covid-19 way of life personally.
'Long Covid' person checking in. It's life changing. I could list a large number of symptoms, but I find it's insufficient to convey just how unwell I feel: there is something malfunctioning at the most basic level, with collateral consequences for every bodily system, affecting them in different ways and in themselves generating new illness and dysfunction. The energy required for moving in an ordinary way cannot be delivered without sending me back to bed for at least a month. I'm back at work now, I can amble around. I can walk up stairs very slowly, taking rests along the way. But if I move in the ordinary way for thirty seconds, the game is up. Last time this happened I was out of the Office for three months.
How am I coping? After having rested to a point where I wasn't getting symptoms all of the time (around 8 months in), I found my intensity window, and have been training myself to do everything in slow motion to avoid crippling symptoms. I've adjusted, but the hardest part is to ingrain the practice against the more autonomous impulses. Dinner burning in the oven? Learned the hard way to let it burn. Freezing my ass off or being caught in a thunderstorm? Don't increase pace. Getting in the way of people? Be more aware so you can sideline yourself before blocking them. I scream internally for exercise every day, I just want to move. I even have dreams where I either obey my movement limitations or knowingly break free of them and sprint with joy in some imaginary place.
The other way I am coping is by not going on Long Covid internet forums, but checking them very occasionally in case anyone's found any affordable and accessible treatments - and I've found some leads I am trying. Also, digging deeper into post viral syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome research (of which Long Covid may just be a manifestation). Gentle exercise, such as stretching, breathing exercises, or yoga for the elderly or hospitalised patients, is still satisfying. I am also experimenting with diets and fasting, and working on my attitude towards my illness. These things are helping, but progress is glacial...it's frustrating as I feel that the longer that I am stuck within this, the greater the risk of some other disease which is worse than my current predicament.
Be aware that fasting can cause hormonal imbalances that cause stress and anxiety. And you don't want any more of that when you have long covid.
Yes, sadly forums dedicated to groups with a problem tend to devolve into pity parties and toxic discussion. I'm glad to hear you're figuring things out and wish that we can find a cure for your disease.
This reminds me I should be thankful that after 1 (maybe 2) covid infections I never had symptoms past 3 weeks of recovering. Granted, I didn't get sick until after I was fully vaccinated (quarantining works!).
Some more important context:
I do wonder whether this demographic makeup affects its applicability to those who are young and/or non-male.
Also, this reaffirms that severe cases (i.e. those requiring hospitalization) are the ones leading to the most severe outcomes.
Interesting stuff.