People recovering from coronavirus are complaining of COVID-19-like symptoms despite having mild to moderate effects. It might seem like a re-infection but, it’s a case of long COVID. Read along to find out more about this post-COVID syndrome.
What is long COVID?
Long COVID is a term used to describe the extended effects of COVID-19 illness. It can continue for weeks or even months after the initial infection. In general, it lasts for a minimum of 4 to 12 weeks.
“Several recovered persons are experiencing Long Covid which can last for three months or beyond. It takes time to repair these organs and till that time those who have recovered from Covid may experience the symptoms,” said Dr. Ajay Bagga, a former surgeon.
Symptoms
According to research, long COVID has two main symptoms. The first one is respiratory symptoms like cough and breathlessness. Another symptom is fatigue and pain in the head, brain, gut, and heart regions. It can also include brain fog, insomnia, joint pains, and heaviness.
What causes long COVID?
According to scientists and doctors, coronavirus affects the functioning of several organs and not just the respiratory system. The virus has effects on the heart, kidneys, liver, nervous system, etc. This is another reason why people with comorbidities are more vulnerable.
The virus’s effect on non-respiratory organs varies from patient to patient. It can depend on the patient’s immune system and its response, lifestyle and food habits, organ function, etc.
How can you combat this?
Doctors say that having an active lifestyle can help. In addition to it, doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) suggested breathing exercises and short brisk walks with breaks to improve lung capacity and strength.
“Active lifestyle involves mild to moderate physical exercises, which will supply proper blood supply to every organ and such people will start gaining immunity and physical strength which had gone down during the infection,” said Dr. Paramjit Mann, the president of Indian Medical Association (IMA)’s Punjab Chapter. “exercise, other than improving the functioning of various organs, also has a “feel good” effect psychologically,” he added.