Although Covid-19 symptoms can disappear completely after one is healed from the disease, research has it that a few individuals may continue to experience lingering symptoms and may even develop long term complications after suffering from Covid-19.
According to the WHO factsheet, some people, even those who had none to mild illnesses, continue to experience symptoms long after their initial recovery from Covid-19. Experts have claimed that symptoms may even persist for more than four weeks after you have been diagnosed with the virus.
It is common that not all patients that test positive for Covid-19 get sick and many do not experience any signs or symptoms at all. However, it is discovered that the implications of the SARs-COV-2 virus stretch beyond one’s recovery from the disease even in clients that had no signs or symptoms at the time of diagnosis. Some clients who were sick of Covid-19 may recover from the disease and get a negative test but later develops mild to moderate or severe form of infection after being discharged from isolation, making them face many challenges in resuming their normal daily activities.
Eventually, it is clear that Covid-19 leaves scars on a person that may take time to heal. Psychological and mental suffering are the major and most reported long Covid-19 symptoms many patients reported. However, some of the most common and concerning symptoms reported include extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, problems with memory and concentration, difficulty sleeping, heart palpitations, dizziness, pins and needles, persistent cough, or even anxiety. It’s not clear up to date what exactly causes the long Covid signs and symptoms.
Long Covid refers to the condition people develop long after they have recovered from coronavirus. It is what continues to torment individuals’ weeks and months after the infection has subsided.
Many people feel better in a few days or weeks after picking up the virus, and most will make a full recovery within 12 weeks. However, for some people, symptoms can last longer. The chances of having long-term symptoms do not seem to be linked to how ill the person was when they first tested positive for Covid-19.
As Covid-19 infection rates continue to go up with the world now standing at 448 313 293 confirmed cases and 6 011 482 deaths, according to the WHO Covid-19 statistics as of March 2022, people continue to live in fear of what their lives will be in the few years to come. It is discovered that long Covid symptoms in some patients stretch beyond one’s recovery from the disease that may even take months to properly get back to living a normal life. Proper care and a good diet are recommended for those dealing with post-Covid syndrome.
Although many countries are doing fairly well in the progress of diagnosing, referring, and reporting Covid-19 cases, the aftercare for Covid 19 patients needing continuous care after being discharged from isolation should be multidisciplinary in nature. Care for people suffering from long Covid 19 should include primary care providers, relevant specialist rehab professionals, social care workers, psychosocial workers, mental health professionals and full engagement of family members.
*Hilma Ndakola Iyambo is a registered nurse and a midwife pursuing a PhD at Dundee University in the Uk.