News That Matters

Tag: COVID-19

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...
Read More
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...
Read More
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 ...
Read More
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.
Read More
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...
Read More
Post-Covid Syndrome Can Harm These Six Organs
28Jan By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Health, Science

Post-Covid Syndrome Can Harm These Six Organs

COVID-19 is still surging through the country, taking the lives of many and changing the lives of even more. But along with the rising number of cases, doctors are also concerned about what happens after patients recover. They've discovered that many patients are developing what's being called "post-covid syndrome," which encompasses a variety of symptoms seen well after initial recovery. A recent study revealed that only around 10% of COVID-19 survivors did not have any lingering symptoms or issues after recovering. Around 72% of survivors experienced significant symptoms, including extreme fatigue, and a small number of patients actually experienced life-threatening issues such a s lung fibrosis, kidney failure, myocarditis, and stroke. It's clear that this novel virus has great c...
Read More
Study Shows COVID-19 Patients May Need a Year to Recover
28Jan By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Health, Science

Study Shows COVID-19 Patients May Need a Year to Recover

New studies show that patients who suffered from the COVID-19 virus may have symptoms that last far beyond the end of the initial virus. Those who experience what’s been called “post-Covid syndrome,” which includes symptoms like brain fog and fatigue, are being termed “long haulers.” Mayo clinic occupational medicine specialist Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn recently reported to CNBC that long-haulers could see lingering COVID-19 effects for a year or longer after recovering from the virus. The phenomenon is similar, Vanichkachorn said, to the long recovery period experienced by some patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). SARS, a respiratory virus that resembles COVID 19, created an epidemic in 2003. Although SARS long-haulers have since recovered, Vanichkachorn stres...
Read More
New Post-Covid Diagnosis Allows for Possible Treatments
28Jan By longhaulersnewNo Comments
Health, Science

New Post-Covid Diagnosis Allows for Possible Treatments

When it comes to the novel Covid-19 virus, there are still many unknowns. Scientists are working tirelessly to learn as much as they can about the virus, including how it affects people in different ways. One of those ways is recovery time, as some patients seem to recover right away, while others still experience symptoms for months after the illness. Those patients are being termed “long-haulers,” and studies have shown that it could take over a year for them to fully go back to normal. Some long-haulers are now being diagnosed with an obscure syndrome called postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, also known as POTS. POTS is an autonomic nervous system disorder that can be triggered by many things, such as infections or viruses. Doctors have suggested that Covid-19 sparks POTS in...
Read More