Long Covid and Corona Aftercare
Long-Covid is a feared long-term consequence of the coronavirusDisease (COVID-19), caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, in which symptoms persist even after the acute illness.
Long-Covid even after a mild course
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 10 to 20 percent of people infected with corona suffer from persistent symptoms as a result of a corona infection. If the symptoms persist for more than four weeks after the acute infection, it is referred to as long Covid syndrome, and if the symptoms persist for more than twelve weeks, it is referred to as post-Covid syndrome. For simplicity, both diseases are summarized as long Covid. A severe course of the infection increases the risk of long Covid, but patients with a mild course can also develop long Covid.
Causes still largely unknown
The causes of long/post-Covid are currently not sufficiently researched. There is much evidence to suggest that the main cause is hyper-inflammation of the blood vessels. It is assumed that the coronavirus remains in the body for longer even after the acute illness and that a persistent immune reaction leads to this hyper-inflammation. A deficiency in certain immunoglobulins could also play a role. Patients with low IgG3 or IgM levels have an increased risk of developing long-Covid. It is known that IgG3, along with IgG1, is particularly important for virus defense.
Diverse symptoms
All organs of the body can be affected. The possible symptoms of long Covid are accordingly diverse: massive exhaustion, reduced resilience, difficulty concentrating, dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, cough, cardiac arrhythmia, headaches, olfactory disorders, joint pain, sleep disorders, hair loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, anxiety, depression and much more.
Corona follow-up check
Despite the many millions of people affected, there is still no reliable information on the treatment options for post-Covid-19 patients. The primary goal should be to prevent chronic organ damage. Covid-19 patients have an increased risk of numerous diseases in the following months, such as Heart attack, strokes, thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, cardiac arrhythmias or heart failureWe therefore recommend that all patients with a Covid-19 infection undergo a thorough corona follow-up check around ten days after the infection has subsided in order to detect secondary diseases at an early stage. We have tried and tested treatment methods available for many of the diseases that occur after a corona infection.