It’s become more apparent in recent months just what the long-term effects of COVID-19 are, from fatigue to even severe kidney problems.
As more research is being done on what these effects are, health experts are also gaining a better understanding of how to treat the virus itself.
There's still a lot to be learned about what the long-term symptoms are, who are more likely to get them, and who will recover quickly, said Dr. Lekshmi Santhosh, Professor and Medical Director of the Post-COVID Optimal Clinic at UCSF on KCBS Radio's "Ask an Expert."
The situation is definitely puzzling, said Santhosh. "There’s a huge range in severity," she said to KCBS Radio's Holly Quan and Dan Mitchinson. It's unclear why "there’s this disconnect between how sick or how critically ill someone is in the beginning and how long the persistent symptoms last."
Each person’s experience is extremely individual, she said. And another difficulty to studying this area is the varying definition many have of "long COVID-19."
The WHO, the CDC, the NIH, all have slightly different definitions, she said.
"There is no one 'long COVID-19,'" said Santhosh.
The most reported symptoms that have been shown to persist the longest are fatigue, shortness of breath, and chest pain. But many studies have included other symptoms such as brain fog and loss of taste and smell.
Another confusing aspect of these symptoms is how common they are, and how often they can be associated with other conditions, said Santhosh.
Treatment varies depending on the symptom. For brain fog, Santhosh said the symptoms are similar to those who’ve experienced a concussion, and at UCSF's clinic, they've found that cognitive therapy can help.
Looking forward to the future, it will be a long journey in getting general practitioners up to speed on how to spot symptoms of "long COVID-19" in their patients. The UCSF clinic has been working on outreach to other doctors in the Bay Area and statewide.
"Because this is a new condition, all of us are working together to find knowledge, share it, and make sure everyone’s on the same page," said Santhosh.
Related
