Coronavirus patients who develop brain fog and fatigue “after Covid syndrome” – often referred to as “long haulers” – according to a doctor at the Mayo Clinic studying the phenomenon.
Occupational medicine specialist Dr. Greg Vanichchkorn told CNBC in a phone interview on Wednesday that he would not be too shocked if some Covid-19 long-hulers experienced the same, long recovery path as those suffering from severe acute disease. Respiratory syndrome. SARS, a respiratory virus similar to the novel coronavirus, spread the disease in 2003.
The SARS patients then improved for a long time, “but it took a while, sometimes more than a year to regain their function,” he told Squawk “X” early Wednesday.
“There is a significant gap in the researchers’ understanding of why some patients with Covid-19 have delayed symptoms,” said Venichak Orn. While the percentage of people who get sick with Covid-19 and develop post-Covid syndrome is also unknown, he insisted it was “not something that is rare.”
At the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he and his colleagues created a rehabilitation program for Covid-19 survivors, Venichak Orn said he had seen more than 100 long-term patients.
“I can’t say there is a genetic basis for the difference in results,” he said. “We have, of course, seen serious cases of patients with covid, such as patients who are in the ICU or hospital, or elderly patients, who are more likely to come with post-covid syndrome.”
“[But] I think one of the real surprises about this is that those types of patients, hospitalized patients or older people, don’t make up most of the patients we see, “he added.” In fact, many patients we are seeing are younger and have a healthy and physically fit before their covid infection. So unfortunately, it seems like this is something that anyone can come up with after an infection. “
Short-term memory issues and concentration challenges are common symptoms experienced by patients after covid, Vanicchakorn said, adding shortness of breath to the list.
The most common symptom, however, is fatigue, he said. “It’s not just fatigue, like the fatigue we get from a bad night’s sleep, but profound fatigue.” He explained, “Patients will tell you to do something as simple as walking the dog, walking the steps in their home, often after which they need to take a nap or rest.”
“People who develop post-covid syndrome can often be stigmatized, especially from individuals who can recover quickly from covid-19,” said Wich Nichkorn. However, he insisted that people with symptoms for months should not be blamed for their condition.
Venicchkorn advised patients to be careful when recovering from Covid-19, saying that “doing too much, too fast” could ultimately be harmful. “Their recovery recovery can be lengthy and if they are too bored or tired, they really need to listen to their body and give themselves momentum.”
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