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An infectious disease specialist warned that people could be impacted by having Covid-19 for years, with many experiencing prolonged symptoms.
Professor Sam McConkey, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), said that some patients continue to have “significant dysfunction” of the lungs, heart or brain for up to three or more times. six months later.
Those recovering from Covid-19 have reported feeling a faster than usual heart rate, others suffer from panic attacks, while some say they cannot walk as much, and some have reported having “brain fog” and difficulty concentrating.
Professor McConkey, who is also a consultant in general medicine, tropical medicine and infectious diseases at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, said patients are anxious about the future.
The professor and his colleagues at Beaumont Hospital are leading a wide-ranging study on the impact of coronavirus on patients.
Around 200 people previously diagnosed with Covid-19 are being evaluated.
Those involved in the study include respiratory specialists, heart specialists, hematology specialists, intensive care physicians, as well as psychiatrists and psychologists.
The study is expected to last another five months.
(Image: Gareth Chaney / Collins)
Professor McConkey said: “We started with the sickest who were in intensive care at Beaumont and those sick enough to need hospitalization.
“We have a team of staff who call them on the phone with a checklist and ask them about their symptoms.
“If patients identify that they have any ongoing symptoms, we put them through a chest X-ray and go through a full series of diagnostic tests and a psychological evaluation.
“Some people have a lot of anxiety and depression and psychological symptoms after Covid-19, especially those who were in the ICU.
“The study is still ongoing, so there are no results, although there are clearly some people who had Covid-19 who have significant lung, heart, or brain dysfunction three to six months later.”
The professor said that although the long-term outcome of Covid-19 remains unclear, there is a possibility that some patients may have symptoms for years.
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“Some people have physical symptoms where they simply cannot walk more than 100 yards and are anxious because they want to know what the future is and fear not getting better,” he added.
“They are very concerned about their physical function. There is a concern that this appears to exist as a feature.
“We are still in the research stage, it seems that it is not the same as COPD or pulmonary fibrosis and that it is something different.
“That is my anecdotal experience of meeting people who have had Covid-19.”
There are also concerns about the psychological impact on young people admitted to hospital with Covid-19, particularly those admitted to the ICU.
“There are people who never really realized in their lives, until that moment, that human life and human existence have a finite end and that one of the few things we can all be completely sure of is that we will die.” He said. additional.
“Coping with that through a potentially fatal illness is really shocking to some people, as they haven’t gotten over it before.”
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