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DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you get a long COVID from an asymptomatic post-vaccine infection? – KG
REPLY: “Long COVID” refers to the long-term symptoms following infection with the novel coronavirus. These symptoms, which can persist for months (at least), include fatigue, difficulty concentrating often referred to as “brain fog”, persistent loss of smell or taste, headaches, chest discomfort and pain. palpitations. About 30% of people with persistent symptoms after COVID have had them as a result of an asymptomatic case.
There is not enough data to answer your question based on the evidence. I suspect it is possible to have persistent post-COVID symptoms even after vaccination, as none of the COVID-19 vaccines are perfect (nothing is, in medicine). However, there are certainly reasons for optimism. The first is that new data shows a 70% to 90% drop in asymptomatic infections, which should translate into far fewer people with persistent symptoms. Second, although the initial side effects of the vaccine can be harsh for people with long symptoms of COVID, there are numerous case reports indicating that symptoms improve after vaccination. In one survey, about a third of people got better with the vaccination, while 15-20% got worse. This came as a bit of a surprise to the experts.
Hopefully the COVID vaccines will be analogous to what we see with the shingles vaccine – this reduces the likelihood of getting shingles, but also lowers the likelihood of long-term complications from shingles, even in those who get shingles despite the vaccine. However, this is a guess until there are good studies.
DEAR DR. ROACH: I had an x-ray for back pain and was told I had a “10mm sclera bone lesion” in my pelvis. They’re sending me for an MRI. What could it be? – TP
REPLY: There are several possibilities when it comes to sclerotic bone lesions (“stonelike”). Many of them are benign: a “bone island” is a small area of compact bone within the cancellous bone; other benign tumors, such as osteomas and enchondromas; and Paget’s disease of bone.
MRI will help distinguish these benign causes from bone cancer. Bone cancer may be primary (meaning starting in the bone, which is rare) or may have spread from another place, such as the lung or breast. A single lesion is more likely to be benign.
Hopefully the MRI will confirm that it is a benign lesion.
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Dr Roach regrets not being able to respond to individual letters, but will fit them into the column where possible. Readers can send questions by email to [email protected] or by mail to 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803.
(c) 2021 North America Syndicate Inc.
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