About COVID-19 from the first lips: pain, fatigue, taste disturbances, hair loss for several months.

We have been living with coronavirus in Lithuania for more than half a year. The first case of this infection was confirmed at the end of February. On March 16, the quarantine was introduced in the country, which was lifted three months later.

However, new limitations have recently been introduced as the epidemiological situation has deteriorated.

On Thursday, VUL Santara Clinics held a remote conversation “COVID-19: half-year history” with L. Jančorienė and the pulmonologist Edita Strumiliene, a physician at the Center for Pneumology and Allergology.

Who gets sick the most?

L. Jančorienė explained that the coronavirus has several stages. The disease itself, according to the doctor, manifests itself like any other respiratory infection with an increase in body temperature, it can lead to coughing, runny nose and sore throat.

“But maybe it is so nonspecific that it would even be difficult to really tell it apart, for example, from a flu infection. One of the most specific signs early in the disease is loss of taste and smell, which most patients notice. Maybe not 100 percent, but a great deal. Signs of lower respiratory tract damage, pneumonia, may appear later, ”he said.

According to L. Jančorienė, the body’s response to infection is important – the so-called cytokine storm, when the body releases a large amount of inflammatory substances, which can cause various other damages to the body.

E.Strumilienė added that the cough in COVID-19 is not much different from other viral infections of the upper respiratory tract. Later, it can also lead to pneumonia.

“However, we have noticed that it is in this infection that very often patients who do not yet have radiological infiltration in the signs of pneumonia develop shortness of breath quite early. Very often, in a patient, this shortness of breath progresses fairly quickly to respiratory failure, “said the doctor at the VUL Santara Clinics Pneumology and Allergy Center.

According to E. Strumilienė, not only the alveoli of the lungs are damaged, but also the blood vessels. The cardiovascular system can also be damaged, and chronic diseases can worsen.

“We see that the disease is much more serious for those with vascular disease or just primary arterial hypertension if they have a chronic lung disease like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Also, episodes of exacerbation of diabetes are observed quite often. Those people who have impaired immunity or another, due to the use of immunosuppressive drugs, are also usually more seriously ill, ”said L. Jančorienė.

We see that the disease is much more serious for those with vascular disease or simply primary arterial hypertension if they have a chronic lung disease like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Also, episodes of exacerbation of diabetes are observed quite often.

What is the course of the disease?

Hospitalization for COVID-19 takes an average of two weeks. However, as L. Jančorienė emphasized, this does not really mean that a person is discharged from the hospital fully recovered. At that point, you no longer need specific hospital care.

“But as practice now shows, the virus remains in the nasopharyngeal mucosa long enough, even though there may be no clinical symptoms. Symptoms of the disease can disappear more quickly, except in very severe cases, which account for about 10 percent of all who need help in the intensive care unit, who also need intubation or even more sophisticated techniques. These are the patients, it is clear that they tend to stay much longer, “said the professor.

As current practice shows, the virus remains in the nasopharyngeal mucosa long enough, even though clinical symptoms may no longer be present.

Full recovery from the coronavirus, as noted by L. Jančorienė, takes a month or more. At the same time, she said, many people with the infection feel tired, lacking strength.

E.Strumilienė said that even after a few months, patients who go to the doctor have many complaints, despite the fact that the virus is not detected in the nasopharynx, the blood indicators have recovered.

For example, taste disturbance, fatigue, general weakness, inability to work remain for several months. In addition, as the pulmonologist pointed out, there are complaints of hair loss, “migratory” pain in, say, the jaw.

“They don’t stay for all patients, that’s for sure. But most of the time, those who come for control are those who had a very severe form of the disease, who had severe pneumonia, who needed artificial lung ventilation or at least additional oxygen ”, commented E. Strumilienė.

COVID-19 infection can also cause scarring of the lungs.

Experimental treatment

According to L. Jančorienė, at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and in Lithuanian patients, an experimental treatment was applied as in other places.

He mentioned that almost half of the patients treated with COVID-19 in the inpatient clinics of the VUL Santara clinics felt the need for additional oxygen. Because there has been much evidence that the processes that take place during infection damage the microcirculation and the possible signs of microembolization, patients are prescribed coagulant drugs, some patients are treated with antibacterial drugs and the like.

“From the beginning, we tried to find information about what could be an additional treatment, especially when it comes to a cytokine storm, that stormy response of the body. At the beginning, for example, most of the European clinics also participated and prescribed patients an antimalarial preparation that had previously been used specifically for the treatment of malaria: plaquilyl, ”taught L. Jančorienė.

Subsequently, according to her, they tried to use one of the drugs for the treatment of HIV: the combination of lopinavir and ritonavir. Subsequently, data emerged on the beneficial effects of dexamethasone in the treatment of COVID-19.

Remdesivir is also used as an antiviral medicine. According to L. Jančorienė, the use of this drug shortened the course of the disease and the risk of complications.

According to the head of the Infectious Diseases Center of the VUL Santara Clinics, patients in our country will receive beta interferon and another drug that has not yet reached Lithuania.

Is it possible to get infected again?

Can people recovering from the coronavirus be re-infected? L. Jančorienė mentioned that among the treatments applied to patients are immunized plasma transfusions.

“That immunized plasma was given to seriously ill hospitalized patients who did not show any antibodies. In fact, antibodies are formed, only to the extent that it is already clear that that period lasts at least 14 days of illness. In the past, We could not find those antibodies or find only one class of antibodies, ”said the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at the VUL Santara Clinics.

At the same time, he noted that it is too early to decide how many antibodies will remain in the body and how long their protective effects will last.

According to L. Jančorienė, in the first half of the year after illness, it is almost impossible to re-infect COVID-19.

Discussing why there are various conspiracy theories about the coronavirus, some people do not want to wear protective masks, L. Jančorienė emphasized that those people should listen to the stories of the sick.

At the same time, he drew attention to world political leaders, some of whom also initially denied the severity of COVID-19, but were ill, found themselves in hospital, and now wear masks and have changed their minds.

Ready for fall

L. Jančorienė stated that doctors are ready for the fall season and a possible higher number of COVID-19 illnesses. In addition, the professor pointed out that new treatments are emerging, there are enough remedies, oxygen beds and the like. Lithuania participates in the study called “Solidarity”.

According to her, our results in the fight against infection are good, in this sense we are similar to Germany.

According to L. Jančorienė, the last six months have been full of challenges: a new infection for which there is no approved treatment yet, information about the disease and treatment methods has only accumulated.

The main experience, he said, was managing emerging patient flows that couldn’t be planned in advance.

He recalled that the diagnosis was limited when a new infection occurred. Overall, coronavirus tests were initially available only in a few hospitals in the country. But in the end, all the processes, as the doctor said, were handled.

Remains viable on surfaces

L. Jančorienė recalled that coronavirus is one of the airborne infections that can infect or infect other people by coughing, sneezing or loudly.

“As you know, it is possible to pass it through personal hygiene items, where human mucous membranes can enter. And because of that, it is already obvious that masks really protect not only that a person is not infected, but also that the patient transmits minus that infection, ”said the VUL Santara clinics doctor.

The teacher stressed the importance of hand washing as well. She noted that the virus survives well enough in some items, remains viable on wood, plastic, paper, and other materials for a short time, and can therefore be transmitted.

20 new cases

20 new cases of coronavirus were detected in Lithuania on Wednesday. A total of 2,978 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the country.

In 1901, people recovered from the disease and 978 fell ill. 5549 individuals need to be isolated at this time.

86 people also died of coronavirus in Lithuania. Thirteen people died from other causes despite being infected with COVID-19.