Darrick Robles Just months after the pandemic hit Europe, reports emerged that Covid-19 was causing long-term fatigue and other symptoms in some people.
In May 2020, an Italian doctor, Dr. Elisa Perego, her own symptoms and coined the term “Long Covid”. Three months later, this designation was adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Over time, new terms have emerged, from “long-term Covid” to “post-Covid syndrome” and “post-corona fatigue” to “chronic Covid syndrome (CCS)”.
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI ) refers to the British National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) when defining Long Covid. NICE speaks of Long Covid when symptoms persist or appear 4 weeks after the Covid-19 infection .
Here is an overview of the current state of research.
What are the symptoms of Long Covid?
Long Covid can have a wide range of effects – hundreds of different symptoms have been reported. Symptoms may differ depending on whether people have been hospitalized or not.
- The most common symptoms include:
- fatigue
- shortness of breath
- Muscle aches
- Cognitive disorders, including poor memory and difficulty concentrating
- headache
- palpitations
- dizziness
- tightness or heaviness in the chest
Long Covid can damage organs and tissues throughout the body including the lungs, heart, kidneys, pancreas, spleen, intestines and liver.
” Covid-19 is considered a systemic disease and not just a respiratory disease, even if the virus enters the body through the respiratory tract,” says Dr. Annette Alaeus, Med-Healths’s Physician and Infectious Diseases Specialist.
“This systemic involvement is probably immunological. Everyone reacts to the infection in different ways.”
How common is Long Covid?
It’s too early to produce reliable, large-scale statistics, but studies suggest a significant number of people could be affected .
A German study found that around 1 in 10 people who initially had mild or no Covid-19 symptoms were still suffering from breathing difficulties, insomnia, taste disorders, fatigue and other ailments months later. Among those affected were young people without previous illnesses.
Some studies have looked at people hospitalized with Covid-19. One study found that three quarters of patients still had symptoms 6 months after hospital admission.
Who is at risk?
Long Covid can affect everyone, but people with these pre-existing conditions have a higher risk of disease:
- high blood pressure
- overweight
- Asthma
- mental illness
Formerly fit, healthy and relatively young people can also be affected.
The risk of Covid-19 complications increases with age. However, the groups most commonly affected by Long Covid are the 35-49 year olds, followed by the 50-69 year olds and then the over 70 year olds.
Severe acute Covid-19 diseases are more common in men. However, the risk of Long Covid is higher in women.
Why is the risk higher for women?
This could be due to gender differences in our immune systems. For example, studies show that women have a lower risk of contracting infections but a higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis .
Does a corona vaccination protect against Long Covid?
Vaccinations are a safe and effective way to reduce the risk of Covid-19 and its complications. That’s one of the many reasons it’s so important to get vaccinated when you can.
Here you will find an overview of the vaccines currently approved in Germany and here you will find frequently asked questions and answers about the corona vaccination .
If you have further questions about the vaccination, you can also use our corona vaccination advice via video .
How is Long Covid treated?
Long Covid is an under-researched condition. The WHO, together with patients’ associations, calls for the disease to be taken seriously and for all those affected to have access to appropriate care.
Various treatment approaches are currently being researched. Because Long Covid can affect so many parts of the body, it may require multidisciplinary, multidisciplinary treatment.
In Germany there are a number of post-Covid outpatient clinics that take special care of patients with long-term effects of corona.
What to do if I am affected by Long Covid?
Contact a doctor. They can look at your symptoms and help you create a recovery plan, which may include help from rehabilitation specialists. Our doctors can also advise you via video, give you an assessment of your symptoms and give you recommendations for the next steps.
