Even the healthy face the risks of long COVID
Savannah Brooks has been an athlete her whole life. She enjoys kickboxing and has trained for mixed martial arts competitions.
But in April, the 30-yearold Minneapolis woman tested positive for COVID-19. It didn’t make her sick enough to need hospitalization. Still, lingering fatigue and a racing heart rate accompanying even the mildest exertion mean she’s now relying on a wheelchair for walks around her neighborhood.
For someone who’s been the “picture of health,” postCOVID medical problems are frustrating and unnerving. Especially hard: not knowing how long it will last. “I think if this can happen to me, it can happen to anyone,” Brooks told an editorial writer.
Experts such as Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn have sounded the alarm about the sheer number of people who may grapple with persistent complications — even if their illness was mild. A muscular new analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) underscores the need to take these concerns seriously.
The CDC report focused on the incidence of post-COVID conditions among Americans ages 18 and up who survived the virus. Researchers drew upon an electronic health record system that included 63.4 million unique adult records in 50 states. Included in the data were those diagnosed or with positive tests in an inpatient, emergency department or outpatient setting. A drawback: vaccination status wasn’t included in the analysis.
A significant percentage of adult COVID survivors experience what the CDC calls “incident conditions” that might be linked to this infection.
The severity or duration of these conditions can impact a person’s quality of life and ability to work.
The study lists 26 incident conditions potentially linked to infection. The breadth of organs and functions that could be affected is sobering: heart attacks, heart rhythm abnormalities, pulmonary embolism, chronic kidney disease, musculoskeletal pain, neurological disorders, difficulty sleeping, as well as asthma and other respiratory symptoms.
Overall, “COVID-19 survivors have twice the risk for developing pulmonary embolism or respiratory conditions” than those who were not infected.
Doctors will now be more informed of risks. The study should also help convince patients to seek care even if others doubt they need it, particularly younger people.
Policymakers also need to get involved. Because COVID was so widespread, millions of people may now struggle with ongoing medical needs. That will impact health care capacity, families and a workforce where labor already is in short supply. Thoughtful preparation to meet these challenges and help patients like Savannah Brooks is vital.