Curing Covid-19 does not mean to stop feeling all the symptoms … The virus leaves traces on the human body. The Academy of Medicine recently listed the sequelae of the coronavirus, especially present in patients who have suffered from a severe form.
There are two main groups of sequelae : “The first brings together those of organic damage in the acute phase, not or only slightly reversible. The second includes the mislabeled complex disorders occurring a few weeks after recovery, the origin and fate of which remain unknown.“, notes the Academy.
Respiratory disorders
Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, due to the high production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, caused by viral infection, is the most common. It is not necessary to have had a severe form to feel this symptom of respiratory discomfort. Overpressure in the respiratory tract can also occur after artificial ventilation, as can anoxia, which is the consequence of the lack of oxygen supplied. Concretely, patients with this type of respiratory sequelae present a progressive decline in respiratory function and more sensitivity to respiratory infections, says the Academy.
Cardiac and nervous disorders
The cardiac sequelae of the coronavirus mainly concern patients with severe forms. The most common disorder is inflammatory myocarditis, the consequence of which may be left ventricular failure. The central nervous system can also show sequelae of Sars-CoV-2. Most often, it is anoxia (lack of oxygen) that is responsible. But in rarer cases, the brain can be directly infected with the virus. Generally speaking, brain damage can contribute to breathing difficulties.
Kidney and muscle damage
Patients immobilized for several weeks in intensive care usually present with sarcopenia, i.e. muscle wasting that requires rehabilitation. Another possible sequel: on the side of the kidneys. In the acute phase of the disease, kidney damage is not uncommon. Here too, they can be directly linked to the virus (necrosis) or indirectly linked (disturbance of the balance of sodium, potassium, water intake, etc.). Depending on the type, they are more or less reversible.
“Unlabelled” disorders
More diffuse, less easy to understand and explain, Covid-19 disease also generates trauma-like disorders, both physically and psychologically. Many spontaneously cured patients complain of return of fatigue, pain, general discomfort, memory loss … Their duration varies, and clinical examination does not reveal any dysfunction. Only support to fight against pain and fatigue is possible.
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