A new CDC report reveals that many individuals who previously recovered from the coronavirus can still experience a range of symptoms weeks and sometimes months after the fact. The report specifically focused on individuals who, while infected with the coronavirus, did not experience severe enough symptoms to warrant hospitalization.
According to the report, about a third of people who test positive for COVID-19 do not return to their baseline level of health in the two to three weeks following their initial diagnosis. Among a subset of coronavirus patients in the 18-34 age range, the study found that one in five were unable to return to their usual state of health, assuming that they had no previous chronic medical conditions.
The symptoms most likely to linger in the weeks following a positive coronavirus diagnosis include fatigue, cough, congestion, dyspnea, loss of taste and smell, chest pain and confusion. The symptoms least likely to linger include vomiting, nausea, fever and chills.
The CDC report appears to corroborate a previous report wherein a number of coronavirus patients at a hospital in Israel reported a range of pains and symptoms sometimes months after their initial diagnosis. Those patients specifically reported a range of mysterious pains, some psychological issues and issues with lung capacity.
It’s also worth noting that a World Health Organization (WHO) report back in May indicated that some coronavirus patients could experience a “relapse” after a seemingly full recovery.
“Certainly, there have been some reported cases of putative relapse, so, people have fallen sick again,” WHO executive director Dr. Mike Ryan explained. “A lot of work is going now to see whether people have been reinfected or whether it’s just a chronic part of the condition.”
The WHO report also indicated that many recovered patients experience “longer-term issues with energy,” a statement with aligns with the aforementioned CDC report and ongoing issues of lingering fatigue in recovered patients.
Doctors at this point still haven’t been able to figure out exactly why some patients experience enduring symptoms for weeks afterward. And seeing as how we’re still only a few months into the coronavirus pandemic, it remains to be seen if these lingering symptoms will always remain present in recovered patients or if they will eventually subside with more time.
As a final point, it’s been documented that the coronavirus — while a respiratory illness — can sometimes ravage a number of major organs in the body. In turn, it’s entirely possible that the coronavirus can lead to lingering health problems that may not be evident in the short-term.
