Isn’t COVID-19 Done Already?
Thank God the tsunami of Covid-19 infections in the USA is almost over. However many are noting a second wave distinct from Covid-19 infections that is coming soon or is already here even. It is called the long-COVID syndrome.
What is Long-Covid syndrome (LCS)?
LCS is a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Its symptoms are fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, anosmia (loss of smell), muscle weakness, low fever and cognitive dysfunction(“brain fog”, anxiety, depression).
Who gets LCS?
Long-Covid symptoms can be seen in more than 20% of people who ever tested positive for Covid and lasts for at least 3 months. It can be seen in people who had only mild or even asymptotic Covid-19 infections. However, up to 80% of people hospitalized for Covid-19 with severe disease experience long-term problems including fatigue and shortness of breath for more than 12 weeks.
What is the cause of LCS?
The cause for long-Covid is still under investigation. However persistent and unregulated inflammation after infection has been found to be strongly correlated with it.
WHAT IS INFLAMMATION?
Inflammation is a complex biological response to harmful stimuli. A few examples of such harmful stimuli are pathogens (e.g., virus, bacteria), damaged cells, and toxic chemicals.
The purpose of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out cells and tissues damaged from the original insult and initiate tissue repair. The human body produces a protective response involving immune cells (white blood cells) and molecular chemicals (Antibodies).
Inflammation is helpful when it happens for a short period of time but harmful when prolonged. When unregulated, it can cause continuous damage to otherwise healthy tissues.
Prolonged ( chronic ) inflammation causes almost all the major health issues in the world.
- Cardiovascular ( heart attack, stroke, blood clots, kidney diseases)
- Autoimmune diseases ( pain, swelling, weakness ) of muscle and joints.
- Respiratory system diseases ( sinusitis, Asthma, allergic cough )
- Hormonal system diseases ( Diabetes, Thyroid deficiency)
- Cancers ( Cervix, Lung, Colon…)
- Accelerated aging of body
What Can Be Done About LCS?
Our clinic is currently involved in providing monoclonal antibody treatments in the early (first 7 days of symptomatic Covid-19 disease) stage. We have also partnered with Dr. Weiss and Dr. Kitos to offer quantitative antibody testing, which you can read more about here. We are in hot pursuit to understand how many short term and long term complications of Covid-19 can be prevented.
Early and effective anti-inflammatory treatment has been proposed to not only treat the Covid-19 severe symptoms but also may prevent the risk of developing long-Covid syndrome.
Contact us at Zion Urgent Care Clinic today if you or a loved one are experiencing Long Covid Symptoms.
Reference: 1- “The prevalence of long COVID symptoms and COVID-19 complications”. Office of National Statistics UK. December 2020. https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/statementsandletters/theprevalenceoflongcovidsymptomsandcovid19complications