Science

COVID-19 Can Have Long-Term Effects on Heart Health
Science

COVID-19 Can Have Long-Term Effects on Heart Health

An article on Science reports that the most recent coronavirus, known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), can cause long-term effects on heart health. The variant can lead to inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), heart cell death, arrhythmias, heart failure, and heart-attack-like symptoms. Some patients experiencing these heart issues only had mild -- or even asymptomatic -- cases of COVID-19. Researchers are working to determine why some patients are more prone to develop heart issues after COVID-19, since it's clear that the severity of infection is not a factor. Because these cardiovascular issues can be serious and even fatal, it is imperative that the medical community figure out which patients could be most at risk of developing long-term heart issues...
Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals She Is a COVID-19 “Long-Hauler”
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Gwyneth Paltrow Reveals She Is a COVID-19 “Long-Hauler”

An article on CNN reports that Gwyneth Paltrow continues to have side effects from COVID-19, which she contracted last year. Paltrow reported symptoms such as fatigue and brain fog, which are tell-tale signs of being a COVID "long-hauler." She wrote on her GOOP website that blood tests revealed high levels of inflammation in her body, so she has been working with a functional medicine doctor to heal. She has been focusing on maintaining a healthy diet low in sugar and alcohol. She says this deliberate attention to her health has been "like a gift," as she's also been working out and spending time in her sauna. To read the full article on CNN, please click here.
Ohio’s MetroHealth Establishes COVID-19 Long-Haulers Clinic
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Ohio’s MetroHealth Establishes COVID-19 Long-Haulers Clinic

Cleveland.com reports that Ohio's MetroHealth has created a special clinic for patients who continue to suffer from COVID-19 symptoms after their initial infection. These patients are known as "long-haulers," and now they can seek help. The clinic is directed by Dr. Nora Singer, who says she's seen several patients with symptoms of COVID that lasted for months. Long-haulers typically experience symptoms like brain fog, shortness of breath, depression, and insomnia, but can also have more serious symptoms related to the heart, lungs, and kidneys. Researchers are working hard to figure out what exactly causes post-COVID-19 syndrome and how symptoms can be treated. The Ohio clinic began by treating employees, but has since opened to treat patients as well. To read the full article on Cle...
COVID-19 Long-Haulers Have Trouble Returning to Work
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COVID-19 Long-Haulers Have Trouble Returning to Work

As reported in the Wall Street Journal, those who suffer from post-COVID-19 syndrome, known as "long-haulers," have a lot of trouble returning to work. With symptoms like debilitating fatigue, brain fog, and migraines, functioning properly in a workplace is quite the challenge. Deborah Shaffer told the Wall Street Journal that she tried to go back to work as a social worker two weeks after recovering from COVID-19. After forgetting which floor she worked on, Shaffer realized she was going to need some more time off. It's been several months since Shaffer got COVID-19, and she still hasn't been able to work a full day. Scientists are still learning about the causes and particularities of post-COVID-19 syndrome and are actively trying to figure out ways to treat it. To read the full arti...
Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Causes More Extreme Long-Haul Symptoms
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Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Causes More Extreme Long-Haul Symptoms

According to an article on Prevention, several COVID-19 patients go on to suffer from a long-term disease called "post-COVID-19 syndrome." Doctors still aren't sure how or why it comes about, but right now, it seems to affect more middle-aged adults rather than older adults. According to Hackensack Meridian Health's Dr. Laurie Jacobs, many physicians have been downplaying and ignoring these long-term COVID symptoms in their patients. Jacobs, who heads the hospital's COVID Recovery Center, says this sadly only makes the suffering worse. Doctors believe that factors like excess inflammation, autoimmune responses, nervous system issues, and blood clots or blood vessel damage could be possibly leading to the syndrome. Symptoms associated in these long-haulers include fatigue, shortness of bre...
Are Women More Likely to Become COVID Long-Haulers?
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Are Women More Likely to Become COVID Long-Haulers?

COVID-19 "long-haulers" are individuals who continue to experience debilitating symptoms after having the COVID-19 virus. According to an article on BusinessLine, a new study reported that women were experiencing long-haul symptoms more often than men. The study was performed at Mayo Clinic under lead researcher Ryan Hurt. Hurt shared his findings with The Lily. He looked at 20,000 survivors of COVID-19, all of whom had to be hospitalized after their recoveries. Ten percent of these patients were considered long-haulers, and 60-80% of these patients were women. Researchers believe that the disparity could have something to do with the immune system, but they do have to consider sociological aspects. For instance, women could be more likely to report their symptoms or seek medical help. ...
Clinical Trials Look at Therapies to Treat COVID-19 Long-Haulers
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Clinical Trials Look at Therapies to Treat COVID-19 Long-Haulers

Experts are looking at other disease endpoints to begin clinical trials on treating COVID-19 long-haulers. Long-haulers are those who suffer from mild to life-threatening repercussions long after healing from the initial virus. Researchers are beginning to look at diseases with similar symptoms, such as chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia, to see what kinds of therapies have worked. Unforuntately, the large range of symptoms makes it difficult. Doctors are still working to even define the syndrome, as people complain of symptoms as mild as fatigue and as severe as debilitating migraines. Researchers have realized they need to have a rather large sample size in order to collect useful data. To read the full article on Clinical Trials, please click here.
Social Media Forum Acts as Refuge for Long-Haul COVID-19 Sufferers
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Social Media Forum Acts as Refuge for Long-Haul COVID-19 Sufferers

26-year-old Fiona Lowenstein assumed her bout with COVID-19 would be mild, as she was young and overall in good health. But her severe shortness of breath caused her to be hospitalized, and weeks afterwards, she began developing even more symptoms. Lowenstein realized she was likely a COVID-19 "long-hauler," one of the many patients who develop a syndrome of long-term ailments for months after recovering from the virus. She eventually turned to social media and became involved in a forum where she could discuss the emotional and physical repercussions of being a long-hauler. Over 9,000 active members, all with a variety of long-haul symptoms, have now joined a forum on Slack. The group offers a place of support, advocacy, and knowledge for COVID-19 long-haulers. To read the full articl...
Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Likely to Help COVID-19 Long-Haulers
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Likely to Help COVID-19 Long-Haulers

Patients who have recovered from COVID-19 but still continue to experience symptoms after two weeks are now known as "long-haulers." These symptoms include persistent fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, migraines, and more. Some patients have even shown permanent lung damage. Doctors still don't know very much about the syndrome, but research has begun on how to treat certain symptoms. One patient, Stephanie Gaboury, has seen great results from hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which she received at Healing with Hyperbarics in North Dakota. The therapies are a slow, consistent protocol that increases the levels of oxygen going into the bloodstream. It's thought that the oxygen helps cells to get rid of inflammation in the way it's normally supposed to, according to Dr. Daphne Denham. Gabour...
Doctors See Great Need for COVID-19 Long Hauler Therapy
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Doctors See Great Need for COVID-19 Long Hauler Therapy

Post-COVID-19 syndrome, whose sufferers are known as "long-haulers," is a chronic disease that BioSpace says "will likely define the first half of this decade." Doctors are only just starting to think about therapies for the "long-haulers" disease, which causes symptoms as mild as fatigue to as serious as permanent lung damage. Doctors are saying that COVID-19 patients who do not start to feel better within two weeks are likely to be long-haulers. BioSpace has recently been in touch with several companies who are beginning to consider therapies for issues like lung fibrosis and respiratory problems. There are several clinical trials currently ongoing looking at the efficacy of different therapies on COVID-19 long-haul symptoms. To read the full article on BioSpace, please click here. ...