Thought of the Day - August 6 2021 - Along with Long COVID

"There are likely to be tens of thousands of long COVID patients suffering in silence here in Canada, unsure if their symptoms are connected to COVID-19"

While there is no agreed definition of what exactly 'Long COVID' is, the general rule of thumb is that symptoms persist for at least six months ( Thought of the Day - June 9 2021 - Long COVID Revisited ). After this, less than 10% actually report that they had recovered, and about 40 percent of these unrecovered participants were still experiencing “extreme levels” of fatigue.

The largest peer-reviewed international study of 'long haulers' has found that there are more than 200 symptoms associated with 'Long COVID', spanning ten organ systems. Published in The Lancet’s open access journal, the study surveyed nearly 3,800 people online, from 56 countries, with confirmed or suspected 'Long COVID'.

During their illness, survey participants reported the most common symptom being fatigue, brain fog and post-exertional malaise (symptoms worsen after physical or mental effort).

There were also a number of other symptoms participants reported experiencing that are “not commonly mentioned in public discussion of 'Long COVID'” ( Thought of the Day - July 30 2021 - COVID Makes You Stupider ). Those included seizures, vision loss, facial paralysis, hallucinations, tremors, itchy skin, shingles, new allergies, changes to one’s menstrual cycle and suicidal tendencies. Some COVID-19-related symptoms like mouth sores, twitchy muscles, eye infections, and skin conditions may not appear until three weeks after the initial infection with the coronavirus. Prolonged symptom duration and disability are common in adults hospitalized with a severe form of COVID-19.

Overall, the study concludes:

1. ‘Long COVID’ is real;

2. As most 'long haulers' are automatically considered 'recovered' after a period of time, COVID 'long haulers' say official stats ignore them;

3. If the promise of vaccines lives up to expectations, the shape COVID-19 in Canada may soon focus on 'long hauling'.

The vast majority of participants in the study also suffered relapses of their symptoms, with over half saying those relapses occurred in an “irregular pattern” and in response to a specific trigger, such as physical or mental activity and stress. About a third of those surveyed who menstruate also said they experienced a relapse in symptoms before or during menstruation.

Some of the study’s most significant findings related to how COVID 'long haulers' were faring in the workplace. Among those who hadn’t recovered from the illness, and who had worked before contracting COVID-19, only about one-third were working as many hours as they had prior to becoming ill. More specifically, nearly half of unrecovered respondents said they were working reduced hours at the time they took the survey. Another 23 percent said they were not working at all due to their illness; this included being on sick leave or disability leave, being fired, quitting or being unable to find a job that could accommodate them.

Some of those who did return to their workplace reported experiencing “relapses” of their symptoms, triggered by the mental exertion and stress of working. They often needed to go back on sick leave again. According to a new review led by the Public Health Agency of Canada, more than half of COVID-19 patients in Canada still experience one or more symptoms of the virus, three months after testing positive. While the Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said last month that most people with COVID-19 recover completely from the virus within a few weeks while some continue to experience symptoms that “persist or recur” for weeks or months - what she failed to mention are those who are now looking at a year or more with symptoms.

Cheers

Cliff