We know too little about Covid-19 'long-haulers.' We need a comprehensive study

“Long-haulers” is no longer just a job description for truckers. This term now refers to the growing number of people who contracted Covid-19 and have continued to have symptoms for more than 100 days – even though tests reveal no virus left in the body. Covid-19 “long-haulers” continue to struggle with debilitating symptoms, often alone, in the shadows of this devastating disease. Having escaped the worst, they nevertheless continue to struggle. It feels like a betrayal. Symptoms reported include headaches, difficulty concentrating and extreme fatigue. In one survey of 1,500 people with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, conducted by a Facebook community of long-haulers, more than half reported debilitating symptoms for more than three months. A recent CDC report found that 35% of respondents who tested positive for Covid-19 and had symptoms didn’t feel like they were back to normal 2–3 weeks after testing. Although Covid-19 is considered most dangerous to the elderly or immunocompromised, the study noted that one in five respondents aged 18-34, without prior chronic medical conditions, said they hadn’t completely recovered. This is particularly concerning since much of the current spread of new cases in the US is in younger people. In fact, it’s not unusual for patients to develop chronic, debilitating symptoms after infection by a wide variety of viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms. The phenomenon is called “post-infectious fatigue syndrome”. It can follow common infections, like mono or Lyme disease, or emerging and more severe diseases caused by Ebola, SARS and West Nile Virus. The symptoms of post-Covid long haulers can be indistinguishable from those typical of the illness called myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

All data is taken from the source: https://www.theguardian.com/
Article Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/19/we-know-too-little-about-covid-19-long-haulers-we-need-a-comprehensive-study


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