News That Matters
Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Causes More Extreme Long-Haul Symptoms
15Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

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...
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Are Women More Likely to Become COVID Long-Haulers?
15Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

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. ...
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Clinical Trials Look at Therapies to Treat COVID-19 Long-Haulers
15Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

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.
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Social Media Forum Acts as Refuge for Long-Haul COVID-19 Sufferers
10Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

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...
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Likely to Help COVID-19 Long-Haulers
10Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

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...
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Doctors See Great Need for COVID-19 Long Hauler Therapy
10Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

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. ...
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Why Can’t Doctors Solve COVID-19 Long-Hauler Puzzle?
8Feb By longhaulersnew1 Comment
Science

Why Can’t Doctors Solve COVID-19 Long-Hauler Puzzle?

There are nearly two-million survivors of COVID-19 who still experience serious issues for months after initial infection. These "long-haulers" do not test positive for COVID-19, but they still feel symptoms like shortness of breath, insomnia, impaired lung function, and memory loss, to name only a few. KX News interviewed Chief Health Strategist Dr. Joshua Wayne, who said that the prolonged side effects are similar to those found in other diseases like Lyme. The difference, he said, is that doctors still can't figure out why these symptoms are sticking around. Dr. Wayne encourages anyone who thinks they might be a "long-hauler" to seek out programs in their area to be treated so that doctors can continue to learn about the syndrome. To read the full article on KX News, please click he...
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Even Mild Cases of COVID-19 Can Cause Months of Symptoms
8Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

Even Mild Cases of COVID-19 Can Cause Months of Symptoms

COVID-19 "long-haulers" are people who continue to suffer the effects of the virus for months after they've recovered. According to Healthline, a recent study published in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society showed that even very mild cases of the disease resulted in long-haul symptoms. The study's authors looked at patients who had previously been diagnosed with COVID-19. These patients came for a follow-up appointment several months after their diagnosis. The authors found that many patients did not feel they fully recovered from the illness, most often complaining of shortness of breath and debilitating fatigue. Only a few patients with long-haul symptoms had severe cases of COVID-19. Many diagnostic tests performed on long-haulers, such as chest X-rays and CT scans, come back ...
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These 5 Women Share COVID-19 Long Hauler Struggles
5Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

These 5 Women Share COVID-19 Long Hauler Struggles

The HuffPost asked five women who are suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome to share their stories. All five women recovered from the initial COVID-19 virus but continue to experience chronic side effects even as long as 9 months later. Individuals experiencing debilitating symptoms long after their bout with COVID-19 are known as long haulers. Long haulers experience symptoms such as chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain, cardiac issues, brain fog, and anxiety. Doctors still don't know why some people become long haulers and some do not, but it is clear that even young and healthy people with only mild cases of COVID-19 still end up suffering from long-term effects. One of the most frustrating aspects of the syndrome is that patients feel invalidated, and HuffPost's interview...
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Can Vaccinated People Still Become COVID-19 Long-Haulers?
5Feb By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Science

Can Vaccinated People Still Become COVID-19 Long-Haulers?

COVID-19 vaccine data shows that the shot is effective at staving off the serious outcomes of the virus, including hospitalization and death. However, researchers are still unsure whether or not the vaccine will lessen the chance of patients developing chronic, long-term symptoms. The Verge interviewed Timothy Henrich, virologist and viral immunologist at the University of California, San Francisco on the matter. Henrich, who studies the long-term effects of COVID-19, believes this is an important question around the vaccine that needs to be answered. While the vaccine may allow individuals to get more mild cases of COVID-19, it's still not known whether it will prevent them from turning into "long-haulers." To read the full story on The Verge, please click here.
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