What You Need to Know about COVID-19 Long Haulers
COVID-19 has taken a staggering toll on the world. In the United States alone, nearly a half-million people have died from the disease. But beyond the overwhelming number of deaths and the many people who have struggled with severe infections requiring hospitalization are the COVID-19 “long haulers.” These people continue to experience side effects and the consequences of the disease for months or even up to a year after initially contracting the illness. What we know now about COVID-19 long haulers is minimal, since the research is only in its early stages. However, researchers are concerned about what the long-term effects might mean.
Types of Infections
In general, researchers have found that people who contract COVID-19 fall into two primary categories: mild cases that resolve within about two weeks and severe infections that can take up to six weeks from which to recover. But now there seems to be another type of infection that does not fit into either of these two main categories. These cases have symptoms that seem to linger for many more weeks—or even months—beyond the initial date of infection.
Understanding the Symptoms
People who have been identified as long haulers have recovered from the COVID-19 infection and tested negative for the virus. However, they are still experiencing significant symptoms of COVID-19. A recent article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association suggests that approximately 10% of COVID-19 patients eventually end up as long haulers and experience symptoms long after they have overcome the disease. For many long haulers, the symptoms are significantly different from those which they experienced during the original infection. Long haulers experience symptoms such as debilitating fatigue, a cough, loss of taste or smell, shortness of breath, headache, and brain fog. Brain fog is one of the most disturbing and confusing symptoms confronting researchers. With brain fog, people report that they experience difficulty in focusing and concentrating, an unusual level of forgetfulness, and confusion.
What Now?
Researchers are studying COVID-19 long haulers and trying to determine whether there is a uniting factor, such as a similar age, underlying conditions, or something else that makes it more likely for someone to experience these long-term symptoms. While in many cases long haulers seem to fall into high-risk groups or have some type of pre-existing condition, there are also cases of younger and perfectly healthy individuals who still experience symptoms months after the initial infection. The hope is that research will find some answers.