UW Health expert provides insight into COVID-19 ‘long haul’

MADISON (WKOW) – For some, a COVID-19 infection leads to symptoms that persist for months after recovery. Now UW Health is giving more information on the condition informally known as COVID-19 “long haul”.

Dr Aurora Pop-Vicas is an infectious disease specialist who focuses on post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, the technical name for the disease.

She said patients who have lasting symptoms can be divided into two groups: those who were hospitalized during their initial illness and those who were not.

“Patients who were critically ill and who were hospitalized and who may have been on extended life support for weeks or even months will have a fairly high risk of residual symptoms after discharge from hospital.” , she said.

She said large-scale studies in other countries found that nearly 75% of this group reported at least one symptom that persisted six months after leaving hospital.

The most interesting group, however, includes patients who initially only had mild cases of COVID-19 but are still struggling with symptoms.

“Instead of recovering quickly, like most patients, within two weeks they continued to have persistent symptoms,” she said.

Pop-Vicas said the data shows that about 10% of this group report long-term symptoms.

What symptoms are common?

Pop-Vicas said the most common symptoms of “long haul” are fatigue and muscle weakness. She said other symptoms, like shortness of breath, chest pain, joint pain, and difficulty sleeping, are also common.

Some patients also report increased depression or anxiety.

What causes the disease?

Pop-Vicas said doctors and scientists do not yet know enough to find a definitive cause for the persistence of symptoms.

She said some theories include persistent inflammation or an overactive immune system.

She said that there was also no clear treatment because the doctors did not know what was causing the phenomenon.

“Until we understand, biologically, the explanation for the syndrome, we don’t have specific post-COVID pharmacological treatment,” she said.

Studies of other respiratory illnesses have shown gradual improvement in symptoms, Pop-Vicas said.