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COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 has been the ultimate public health concern since the World Health Organization became aware of it at the end of 2019. First discovered in Wuhan, China, the virus has made its way all around the world and has infected millions of people.
Common Symptoms of COVID-19: Fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, chest pain, loss of smell/taste, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The CDC recommends getting tested for COVID if any of these symptoms are present.
But if you test positive for COVID-19, are there lasting consequences?
At least 10% of people that tested positive for COVID-19 reported symptoms that lingered on four or more weeks after being infected with the virus.
Long term symptoms: Headache, loss of smell or taste, memory/concentration problems (brain fog), sleep problems, skin rash (Mittal et al., 2021).
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These lingering symptoms have been referred to as: Long Covid, Long-haul Covid, Post-acute COVID-19, or Chronic COVID and classify as a cluster of symptoms that last a substantial amount of time after an individual is infected with the virus (Pergolizzi et al., 2021).
Patients who remained free from symptoms after testing positive later reported symptoms such has fatigue and trouble focusing.
Evidence is still being gathered about COVID-19 and the long-term effects it has on its survivors (Palmer, 2021).
Treatment is aimed at providing emotional support, identifying symptoms that persist and finding relief for the individual (Scordo et al., 2021).
References
Mittal, C., Mishra, A., Jain, S., & Gautam, N. S. (2021). Post COVID-19 Symptoms: A Neglected Domain. Indian Journal of Community Health, 33(2), 343–346. https://doi.org/10.47203/IJCH.2021.v33i02.018
Palmer, S. J. (2021). Long COVID and mental health. British Journal of Community Nursing, 26(8), 406–409. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjcn.2021.26.8.406
Pergolizzi, J. V., LeQuang, J. A., Magnusson, P., Myrcik, D., & Varrassi, G. (2021). It’s not over till it’s over: a narrative review of Long COVID. Signa Vitae, 17(3), 21–30. https://doi.org/10.22514/sv.2021.067
Scordo, K. A., Richmond, M. M., & Munro, N. (2021). Post–COVID-19 Syndrome: Theoretical Basis, Identification, and Management. AACN Advanced Critical Care, 32(2), 188–194. https://doi.org/10.4037/aacnacc2021492
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects.html
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