[Warning corner] Are post-Covid sequelae dangerous?

What are post-covid sequelae? How to fix

Not only does it affect health during the covid period, SARS-CoV-2 also leaves many sequelae after weeks of recovery. So what sequelae can be encountered? How do you overcome? Let's learn about this issue through the following article.

I. What are post-covid sequelae?
The Covid 19 pandemic has been causing significant impacts on all aspects of social life, especially people's health. In recent years, the widespread vaccination campaign has helped significantly reduce the number of deaths, reduce the level of symptoms when infected with Covid, and even have no symptoms. However, many people reported that they encountered other problems after getting sick. In some cases, they even found themselves having more serious problems than when they had covid.

The World Health Organization WHO defines: Post-covid sequelae are a condition in which a person who has been infected with SARS-CoV-2 has recovered within 3 months and has symptoms lasting for 2 months but no reason can be found. with alternative diagnoses.

Post-covid sequelae can affect anyone, including children, adults and the elderly, in asymptomatic, mild or severe Covid patients. However, according to studies, these sequelae are more common in women, the elderly and people with more than 6 symptoms when infected with covid.

II. Common post-covid sequelae? How to fix?
According to statistics, there are about 200 symptoms believed to be related to post-Covid. Some people are lucky and their health returns to normal after covid, but there are people who experience one or more complications at the same time, even serious and life-threatening. Some common post-Covid sequelae have been reported as follows:

1. Fatigue, weakness

Fatigue is a common post-covid symptom

This is the most common manifestation in people with post-covid sequelae. The proportion of people with this condition is about 50 - 90% depending on the reported country. The duration of effect is different for each person. To improve this condition, it is necessary to have proper rest, exercise and nutrition.

– Arrange reasonable rest time, limit work that requires exertion, and don't stay up too late.

– Regularly exercise to gradually increase muscle endurance and strength, especially in people who have to breathe on a ventilator when treating covid.

– Nutrition needs to be rich in calories, protein, fruits and vegetables to provide energy and boost immunity.

2. Chronic cough
Many patients after contracting covid-19 have lung damage that can lead to a cough with phlegm and persistent cough. This symptom can last up to 2-3 months.

Coughing is the body's reflex to expel foreign agents from the body. But prolonged coughing can make the body tired and weak.

The solution for this case is breathing exercises and seeing a doctor. You may be prescribed cough medicine, an expectorant, or some other medicine to clear your airways.

3. Cardiovascular disorders

Post-covid can cause cardiovascular disorders

After recovering from Covid-19, many patients suffer from heart palpitations, arrhythmias, chest pain, etc.

This condition may appear after being negative for the virus for 1-3 months. At this time, you need to visit a cardiology specialist, check echocardiography and electrocardiogram to prescribe more appropriate medication. At the same time, you should combine it with gentle exercises to gradually restore your heart rate to normal.

4. Joint pain
While suffering from covid 19, patients can damage blood vessels in the knee joints, leading to pain in the joints.

Patients can practice physical therapy if necessary, and use anti-inflammatory and pain relievers such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen. For older people, recovery time may be longer because the musculoskeletal system in these subjects is also weaker.

5. Loss of smell and taste

After covid causes loss of smell and taste

Damage to persistent cells in the nose during covid affects sensory cilia in the receptor neurons of the olfactory bulb. Therefore, the body cannot sense smell, and over time these cells can also be affected, leading to loss of smell and taste after covid.

6. Blood clot formation leads to stroke
Because the immune response must work strongly during illness, it leads to damage to a large number of blood vessel cells. Especially in patients with covid who have underlying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

In people infected with SARS-CoV-2, there are many inflammatory proteins, so they may have to produce many T cells to help destroy the virus even though they are negative for the virus.

This increases the risk of blood clots forming in blood vessels, which can dangerously lead to complications such as stroke, myocardial infarction, etc.

To prevent this condition, you need to control your weight if you are overweight, increase exercise, have a nutritious diet, and supplement with products that help dissolve blood clots and help prevent strokes like HT Stokend , especially in people with obesity, high blood fat, high blood pressure...

7. Hair loss

Many people worry about hair loss after covid

Many people complain that they notice a lot of hair loss after contracting Covid. This condition is mainly due to the patient's psychology, constant feelings of anxiety and stress.

Normally, hair can grow back after a few weeks or months of recovery. Patients can also use products that help stimulate hair growth to be effective.

8. Difficulty breathing
The virus affects the lungs during the attack phase, causing microscopic cells in this organ to be damaged. Therefore, reducing the ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs, people after contracting covid-19 may experience difficulty breathing, which is worse when exercising or working hard.

Patients often feel like they don't have enough oxygen to breathe, are dizzy, have a heavy upper body, and have to stop when moving to breathe easier.

When you encounter this situation, practice breathing deeply, exhale slowly, and choose a comfortable sitting position. Then practice breathing with simple exercises, belly breathing, measuring SpO2 oxygen saturation to know the level of difficulty breathing. Go immediately to a medical facility when the index is below 94. However, it is best for the patient to go to a specialized medical facility for effective improvement methods.

9. Forgetfulness, decreased concentration, memory loss

Post-covid causes distraction

Damage to tiny blood vessels in the brain can reduce the brain's ability to function, leading to forgetfulness and memory loss.

A term used for post-covid people is brain fog, patients experience slower thinking, memory loss, feelings of confusion... This greatly affects the quality of life, as well as work. The cause is that the body's immune response is overactive, affecting brain problems.

Patients can practice healthy reflex stimulation and memory stimulation such as playing chess, reading books, baking...

10. Other symptoms
Some other people have other post-covid sequelae such as hearing loss, tinnitus, diarrhea, abdominal pain, decreased appetite...

III. Are post-covid sequelae dangerous?
As we have seen, the SARS-CoV-2 virus strongly attacks cells in the body, activating the immune system to become highly active, affecting the membrane cells in blood vessels. Meanwhile, blood vessels and the immune system exist everywhere in the body, so post-covid sequelae can affect many organs at the same time. Especially in lung cells, prolonged pneumonia can cause lung fibrosis, which is dangerous to health.

Many information also shows that post-covid also affects reproductive health, affecting the functioning of the uterus and ovaries, reducing the ability of eggs to nest, leading to a decrease in conception rate. In men, it reduces the secretion of the hormone testosterone, reduces sperm production, and causes erectile dysfunction.

IV. Will post-covid sequelae go away? How long does it last?

How long does it take to recover after covid?

Usually post-covid symptoms can disappear on their own within 6 months after first appearing. These people account for about 33-76% of people experiencing post-covid symptoms.

In order for symptoms to heal quickly, patients should go to reputable facilities for examination and appropriate treatment. The sooner a patient does it, the higher the chance of a quick recovery, and it also helps prevent damage to a minimum.

Above are the most common post-covid sequelae that we need to pay attention to. It is important to see a doctor and get timely treatment.