Understanding the Long-Term Effects of COVID-19

As of February 2022, 58% of all Americans had contracted COVID-19 at some point since the virus first reached our shores in January 2020. Though the rate of new infection has slowed down since the advent of COVID vaccines, this is a number that still continues to grow.

If you are among this majority of Americans who contracted COVID-19 and lived to tell the tale, you likely took a deep sigh of relief the moment the infection cleared and your symptoms passed. However, some COVID survivors experience the long term aftermath of this disease even after they have been cured of the virus . 

Research into the long-term effects of COVID-19 is still ongoing. Though not a lot of time has passed since COVID-19 patients have recovered from their infection, medical researchers managed to make some alarming discoveries regarding the long-term health consequences of COVID-19.

What Are the Long-Term Effects of a COVID-19 Infection?

Like the disease itself, the long-term effects of COVID-19 can vary wildly from patient to patient, with many patients experiencing no impactful long-term effects at all. Nevertheless, it is important to be aware of the disease’s potential long-term consequences and, if you are especially at risk, work with your physicians so that they can be mitigated and prevented.

According to the CDC, the long-term symptoms of COVID-19 can persist for weeks, months, or years. The CDC also states that those who experienced a more severe case of COVID-19 are more likely to develop long-term complications than those who were asymptomatic or experienced mild symptoms.

As for the long-term effects of COVID-19 that have been discovered so far, the list is long and wide-ranging. According to the CDC, potential conditions that can be triggered by a COVID-19 infection long after the infection itself has passed include:

  • Tiredness or fatigue
  • Fever
  • Symptoms that worsen after physical or mental activity, known as “post-exertional malaise”
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Chest pain
  • Heart palpitations
  • Brain fog, or difficulty thinking/concentrating
  • Sleep issues
  • Headaches
  • Lightheadedness
  • Changes in smell or taste
  • A “pins and needles” sensation
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Stomach pain
  • Diarrhea
  • Rash
  • Joint or muscle pain
  • Changes to the menstrual cycle

Once again, it is important to reiterate that few, if any, patients report experiencing all of these post-COVID conditions. And according to the University of Michigan School of Public Health, 57% of those who recover from COVID-19 don’t experience any post-COVID conditions at all. However, that means that 43% of those who recover from COVID-19 will experience some type of symptom or condition even after their immune system has successfully defeated the virus and their initial symptoms have passed.

Factors That Make it More Likely You Will Develop Post-COVID Conditions

Researchers are still working to identify the exact risk factors that make a person more likely to develop post-COVID conditions. According to the CDC, however, the following groups of people seem more susceptible to post-COVID conditions than others:

  • Those who were not vaccinated against COVID-19
  • Those who had underlying health conditions prior to contracting COVID-19
  • Those who experienced a severe case of COVID-19, in particular, those who were hospitalized or needed intensive care
  • Those who experience multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) during or after COVID-19 illness
  • Those impacted by health inequities, including ethnic and racial minority groups and people with disabilities

If you fall into any of these categories, be sure to speak with your physician about your risk of developing post-COVID conditions.

Bikham Healthcare’s Mission in a Post-COVID World

Many countries have already declared an end to the COVID-19 pandemic. In more ways than one, though, COVID-19 continues to impact people all over the world. At Bikham Healthcare, our mission in this post-COVID world is to support the physicians on the front line of caring for patients who are now experiencing post-COVID conditions via services designed to reduce their administrative burden. If you are a physician or an executive at a healthcare facility and would like to learn more about how Bikham Healthcare’s industry-leading revenue cycle management, provider enrollment, and provider credentialing services can free up you and your staff to spend more time focusing on patient care, be sure to contact us today!

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