Mumbai, October 7
According to medical experts and researchers, symptoms of coronavirus can linger on for months even after the person tests negative for the virus. This phenomenon is widely known as ‘long Covid’.
According to a report on Health Site, the medical community is unsure whether the symptoms wear off with time or will linger forever.
It also stated that these persisting symptoms differ from person to person. Covid-19 patients can experience ‘long Covid’ with different symptoms. However, the most common is fatigue.
Researchers at Bristol-based Southmead Hospital revealed that 75 per cent of patients hospitalised due to Covid-19 continue to struggle with certain symptoms even after testing negative. On average, the symptoms lasted for three months.
Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined 143 Covid-19 patients after they were discharged from Rome’s biggest hospital.
It found that almost two months later, 87 per cent of the patients still had at least one symptom and more than half were struggling with fatigue.
According to data from the Covid Symptom Tracker App — which is used by around 40 lakh people in the United Kingdom — one in 50 (2 per cent) persons infected with Covid-19 continued to demonstrate its symptoms even after three months.
While the long-term symptoms are noticeable, some people who have recovered completely from Covid-19, could still be struggling with mental health issues, including depression and anxiety, said the previous reports.
Recovery for long haulers
The UK National Health Service (NHS) has formulated the ‘Your Covid Recovery Plan’. The plan incorporates 3Ps in order to help people slowly recover from the disease. It recommends long haulers:
Take plenty of rest
Plan your days so your most tiring activities are spread out across the week
Prioritise things — deciding what you need to do.