It turns out that she hadCOVID-19.
Despite these improvements, Dunlop is still severely fatigued and frequently needs to take a midday nap.
She guesses that its a perfect storm of both.
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Some people maintain their COVID-19 symptoms well after they have supposedly recovered from the acute infection.
Other individuals developnew symptoms like brain fogthat they didnt experience when they were sick with COVID-19.
Experts are still looking into why all of this happens.
There are too many cases of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome to ignore.
What we know about lingering symptoms
Most people who get sick with COVID-19recover completelywithin a few weeks.
But thousands of people report malaise months after their initial infection.
These clinics are for people who were sick with COVID-19 and need ongoing care because of lingering symptoms.
Patients may try a variety of treatments to hopefully regain some of their pre-COVID-19 health.
Dr. Bunnell works with patients at U.W.s post-COVID-19 telehealth clinic.
When people get really sick, everything in the body can break down.
Their blood work looks fine and they dont test positive for COVID-19.
Doctors just dont know why these patients feel sick.
(This system regulates involuntary responses that we dont normally think about, like digestion and breathing.)
As with most things related to COVID-19, theres a paucity of data showing how often the syndrome occurs.
Post-acute COVID-19 syndrome risk factors are hard to define too.
Of the 86 long-haulers, 80 individuals had a comorbidity.
But that doesnt necessarily prove that comorbidities are a risk factor for this syndrome.
Dr. Putrino says that at Mount Sinais Center for Post-COVID Care, most patients are younger people without comorbidities.
Right now, its unclear.
Case in point: Dunlop, who was not hospitalized with a severe case of COVID-19.
That changedafter she contracted the virus.
Part of it could be because Ive been sedentary pretty much all year.
But I was very much an in-shape person before I got COVID-19.
Gaslighting is part of the story people come to us with, Dr. Putrino says.
You could add it as a diagnostic criteria at this point.
Fortunately, Dunlops doctor has been really understanding.
But this issue is so new that Dunlop still doesnt have an effective treatment.
I have had to find my own ways of managing the symptoms, she says.
Doctors personalize a plan for each patient based on their specific symptoms to help peopleminimize their daily discomfort.
But thats challenging, too, because a single symptom could have several different causes.
This may help them breathe more normally andreduce their stress and anxietyrelated to shortness of breath.
The mental load is a whole other part of recovery, she says.
The anxiety I’m feeling now is unlike any kind of anxiety I have ever felt.
and Do I have undetected heart damage?
It doesnt help that Dunlop feels short of breath and extremely fatigued after she exercises.
Now, she practices yoga instead, and it helps temper some of her anxiety.
Then theres the monetary stress.
Chronic illness candrain your financesfrom medical costs and reduced salary from taking time off work.
At the beginning of the pandemic especially,coronavirus testing was limitedthroughout the country.
Some people who thought they had COVID-19 just couldnt get confirmation.
So what happens to people who cant prove they had the coronavirus but believe theyre dealing with its aftermath?
But hes encouraged by his patients successes.
That being said, some patients have setbacks, so theres no telling if any noticeable improvements will last.
A national study calledINSPIREfunded by the CDC will study long-term patient outcomes of the novel coronavirus.
The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs will study the effects of COVID-19 in 9,000 veterans who had the disease.
For now, everyone needs to remain vigilant inprotecting themselvesagainst the coronavirus.
You may have a lower risk of fatality, but you are susceptible to this new, life-changing condition.
We still cant figure out whos going to get post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and who isnt, says Dr. Putrino.
