University of Utah doctors share latest information on effects of long-term COVID

SALT LAKE CITY – Even though COVID-19 patients avoid serious illness, around 30% will still experience symptoms such as fatigue, heart problems and an abnormal sense of taste and smell that can affect them for a long period of time – maybe even life in some cases, University of Utah health experts said in a virtual conference Thursday.

The University of Utah Health opened a full COVID-19 clinic for long-haul travelers in mid-July. They have seen around 100 patients so far, 300 of whom are working to be scheduled. They receive about 10 referrals a day, both in the state and in neighboring states, said Dr. Jeanette Brown, assistant professor of medicine and medical director of the clinic.

A recent study has been published which shows promising data that vaccination can potentially reduce the risk of contracting a “long COVID”, although Brown noted that the app used to collect this data is “a little heavy, it could therefore not to be completely inclusive ”. That being said, “protecting against serious illness and becoming long haul is an important reason to get vaccinated,” she concluded.

A loss of smell, and therefore taste, because the two senses are so interconnected, is a well-known early sign of COVID-19 that often precedes many other symptoms. While the majority of people recover their sense of smell within six months, it is common for it to be impaired, resulting in a condition called parosmia, where smells are distorted and normal smells can turn terrible.

Dr. Richard Orlandi, professor of otolaryngology at the University of Utah Health, explained that this loss experienced by 80% of COVID-19 patients is the result of the virus directly attacking the nerves that conduct the smell in the nose, causing it to die and then to grow back.

“(Parosmia) it’s a bit like taking all the wires out of a switchboard and putting them all back in. Sometimes those connections don’t end where they originally were. Roses can smell like rotten food or litter. ‘essence can smell of lavender, “he said.

About 5-10% of patients seem to have a permanent loss of their sense of smell, which has an impact on taste. But Orlandi concedes that the data in this case only goes back to the time of the cases – just over a year.

This loss of smell can lead to a drop in quality of life and even depression, he said. But it can also be immediately dangerous in certain circumstances, such as if people cannot smell fire or natural gas and are unable to react in time to be safe.

It is possible to improve the condition through scent retraining therapy, originally developed to help people who have lost their sense of smell as a result of head trauma or other viral illnesses. Patients smell a few different smells a day, like coffee, peanut butter, essential oils, lavender, etc., and do so once or twice a day each day.

Dr. Kevin Shah, assistant professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Utah Health, has seen many patients who have no known pre-existing heart disease develop long-term chest pain, shortness of breath, palpitations and dizziness. in COVID- 19 patients.

In more severe cases of “long COVID”, patients may develop pericarditis, an inflammation of the heart sac; myocarditis, inflammation of the heart muscle; dysautonomia, a dysfunction of the nerves that regulate involuntary bodily functions; and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a hyper-exaggerated response to changes in position.

He has seen children and youth develop myocarditis or myopericarditis, and atrial fibrillation – an irregular and rapid heartbeat – has been a side effect in some cases. Cardiologists are starting to recommend heart monitors for young people in these cases, he said.

Orlandi said that while in very rare circumstances the vaccine can cause myocarditis, COVID-19 is much more likely to cause myocarditis, and the effects of the vaccine so far outweigh the risks.

Doctors recommend that everyone get vaccinated, even people who have had COVID-19 in the past. Brown explained that just because you’ve recovered from COVID-19 once you run out of it doesn’t or you’ll easily recover a second time around. Some of his patients who contracted COVID-19 for the second time ended up with even more serious cases.

“The natural immunity seems to wane and getting a shot after a COVID experience really boosts the immune system so you don’t get it in the future,” Orlandi said.

Brown also noted that doctors at the clinic were taking an extremely detailed history and trying to “keep an open mind” that the symptoms of the long haul could be something else. She noted that one of her colleagues had a case in which a patient who was suffering from fatigue had gastrointestinal bleeding, not a “long COVID”.

“It is essential for us, as medical providers, to make sure that we do not overlook other conditions that may arise,” she said.

Information on how patients with symptoms of “long COVID” should request to be seen at the clinic is available on their website.