Weeks after falling sick with COVID-19, hundreds of doctors who are part of a Facebook group in the UK, reported that they had been unable to work after failing to completely recover from an episode of the disease. The doctors warn for the need of understanding ‘long COVID’: a range of symptoms that some medical professionals are noticing in individuals.

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What is 'long COVID'?

In recent times, there has been a much warranted discussion about ‘long COVID’ and the effect it has on the individuals who suffer with the long standing symptoms of the disease. Unlike individuals who fall ill with a more typical presentation of COVID-19, individuals with this form of the disease may only show mild to moderate symptoms, which last for weeks to months.

While earlier it was believed that the disease manifested either to make individuals very sick or mildly sick, it is now more commonly being accepted that several individuals who get sick present with lasting symptoms for a long time. The effects of the long term disease, which were not initially well understood, are now coming to light after several individuals have reported feeling unwell long after contracting the disease.

While some experience mild symptoms such as sore throat and skin manifestations, others experience more concerning symptoms including difficulty breathing, increased heart rate, relapsing fevers and breathlessness on exertion among others.

Thousands of individuals across Europe and in various parts of the US have reportedly presented with ‘long COVID.’ One woman from Texas noted that she felt weak and experienced breathing difficulties for over 4 months.

Three doctors from the UK, who are part of a facebook group have written about these symptoms. Dr. Amali Lokugamage (consultant obstetrician at Whittington Hospital), Dr. Sharon Taylor (child psychiatrist at St Mary’s Hospital, London) and Dr Rayner (retired physician and lecturer at University of Manchester), have documented their concerns in an article in the BMJ.

The doctors note in their report:

“Many individuals have been reporting symptoms that range from low oxygen saturations, breathlessness, chest pain, pericarditis/myocarditis, pericardial/pleural effusions, fast heart rate with minimal exertion, hoarseness, skin manifestations, new onset dysphasia, acquired dyslexia, headaches, severe fatigue, relapsing fevers, lymphadenopathy, joint pains, sore throat and diarrhoea. Symptoms may arise through several mechanisms including direct organ damage and changes in immune function.”

The authors have stated that some of the symptoms last for more than 16 weeks and cannot be attributed to post-viral myalgia. The symptoms are also said to be beyond the typical definitions of chronic fatigue. Individuals experiencing these symptoms are referred to as ‘long haulers’, considering that they “haul” the viruses for a long time.

One report, that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) noted that 87 percent of people who were discharged from a hospital in Rome after recovering from COVID-19, experienced symptoms for upto 60 days from the time they developed the disease. Fatigue and dyspnoea (shortness of breath) were two symptoms that were commonly seen in individuals who’d recovered.

Dr. Clare Rayner noted in an interview that most of the focus was on the acute cases of individuals with COVID-19 (that is, new cases) and that there is not much awareness about long COVID or how to handle it. She herself is recovering after suffering from the illness for 4 months. During this time she was admitted at a hospital after developing gastrointestinal symptoms and dehydration and also received home support for a period of 2 weeks following that time. She has personally experienced a number of these symptoms which she describes as being ‘bizarre’.

In another BMJ article, the chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners Martin Marshall was quoted as having brought up the means of support which would have to be provided for individuals with long COVID. “There will be a significant influx of patients with lingering ‘long covid’ illness, both physical and emotional, and GPs must have the necessary resources and support to care for patients and help them come to terms with and readjust to the aftermath,” he said.

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