The range of reported features is wide. These include abnormal fatigue from physical or mental activity, brain fog, temperature irregularities, rashes, memory problems and insomnia. It seems that the body’s immune response to the coronavirus has hit the nervous system hard, says rehabilitation specialist at the Post-Cowid Care for Mount Sinai Center.
The lasting effects among those who survived another serious coronavirus disease, SARS, are not very encouraging. The Mayo Clinic reports, “Many people who have recovered from SARS have gone on to develop chronic fatigue syndrome, a complex disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that is exacerbated by physical or mental activity, but does not improve in the rest. The same can be said for people with Covid-19. ”
The Covid-19 virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, increasing the risk of persistent health problems. According to Mayo experts, “Imaging tests taken months after recovery from Covid-19 showed permanent damage to the heart muscle, even in people who had only mild Covid-19 symptoms.” Illness can cause blood clots to form which can block the capillaries in the heart and permanently injure the heart muscle. The disease also weakens the blood vessels and injures the kidneys and liver.
Covid can scar small air sacs in the lungs and make it difficult to breathe long-term even if the scar is partially healing. The impact on lung function ended the life of 107-year-old Meryl Shapiro Asher, a well-known artist in Washington, D.C., who remained commercially active until the Covid-19 set in early spring. During five days in the hospital, he recovered from a severe infection, then died several months later with damage to his lungs from the virus, which made him brittle and filled his air sacs with fluid.
With SARS, a 15-year follow-up of patients found that most lung recovery occurred within two years, but with some mild pulmonary effects, more than a third of recovered SARS patients remained indefinitely.
The brain-related effects of active Covid-19 infection may include temporary paralysis called stroke, convulsions, and Guillain-Barr સિ syndrome. Many covid patients lose their sense of smell and taste during acute illness, but for some this neurological effect lasts for months after they otherwise recover. And questions remain as to whether a viral infection will increase the risk of neurological problems later, such as Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease.
People who were seriously ill with Covid-19, especially those who spent weeks or more in intensive care with or without a ventilator, may develop persistent problems with post-traumatic stress syndrome anxiety and restlessness and depression. Their emotional trauma can also lead to recurring dreams and the fear of being alone and sleeping.
