Although the peak of COVID-19 effects has already surpassed for much of Europe, researches continues to show the diverse effects of the pandemic on the human body. These adverse effects include harm to the lungs, liver, kidney, brain, nervous system, heart, cardiovascular system, infection in the skin and the gastrointestinal tract.
However, what the communities of “long COVID-19 effects” sufferers have come up with appears to be long-term effects of the virus. Patients who have already recovered months ago are complaining of symptoms namely, breathing difficulties that include breathlessness just by talking or taking short walks; brain fog that includes decreased cognitive powers, short-term memory; feeling of tiredness and fatigue; muscle aches and an odd tingling in the hands and the soles of her feet.
They even complained of being very emotional and able to manage only two hours of activity in a day. All in one, it seems there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to this, and people have different symptoms and different needs and thus, will need different support.
Health authorities across the European nations are now starting to offer rehabilitation services to COVID-19 survivors. Dr Piero Clavario, director of the post-COVID-19 effects rehab institute and his team, started contacting several hundred COVID-survivors treated by hospitals in the district in May.
As per Calvario, of the total 55 people visited by his team, eight needed no follow-up support and had no complications while 50% of them had psychological problems, and 15% had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which indicates astonishing results as even the patients who did not spend any time in the ICU were extremely feeble.
Acknowledging the scale of the problem, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that there is increasing evidence of a minority of people. Still, a significant minority having long-term impacts from the virus and also said that it is utmost important that we support people who are in this situation.
A major study, known as PHOSP-COVID has been announced to research into the long-term health COVID-19 effects on patients who were hospitalized. This study targets to track 10,000 people over the next 12 months or longer and understand the scale of these effects, its severity and steps to be taken to combat it.