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It's been five years since COVID-19 was classified as a global pandemic. While life goes on for most people, millions still face ongoing health problems from the virus. Initially, doctors assumed COVID-19 only caused breathing issues. Now, doctors have since learned it has long-lasting health issues in various parts of our body.
COVID-19 makes breathing hard and reduces lung capacity. Studies show recovered patients still had abnormal lung scans three months after getting sick. Even people who had mild symptoms during their illness now report trouble breathing, raising concerns about how the virus affects lung function over time.
The virus can also attack heart tissue, causing inflammation of the heart. Cardiovascular Imaging found that over half of recovered COVID-19 patients showed heart inflammation months after recovery. This damage can increase the risk of heart attacks, blood clots, and irregular heartbeats in people who were healthy before, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Many patients, even those with mild cases, report "brain" fog" — trouble remembering things, focusing, and mental tiredness after becoming ill with COVID-19. A study found COVID-19 survivors have some form of thinking problems months after infection. Scientists believe inflammation in the brain and changes in blood flow might cause these brain symptoms.
Beyond physical health, the pandemic has hurt mental health too. A World Health Organization report found that anxiety and depression increased by 25% worldwide during the first year of the pandemic. Even now, mental health professionals see more cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially in healthcare workers who have been exposed to the virus for long periods.
One puzzling aspect of the virus is long COVID — when symptoms last for weeks or months after the initial illness. Some estimates say 400 million people worldwide experience long Covid.
Common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, joint pain, dizziness, and sleep problems. 15% of people who had COVID-19 have ongoing symptoms, no matter how severe their initial infection was. Researchers are still trying to understand why some people develop long COVID while others recover quickly.
Another troubling finding is the potential link between COVID-19 and brain diseases. A study from Rush University Medical Center suggests even mild COVID-19 infections can cause long-term changes in brain proteins, increasing the risk of conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
Despite these concerning health effects, medical progress offers some hope. Researchers are studying treatments for long-term COVID-19. Also, vaccines have greatly reduced the severity of infections, lowering the chance of long-term complications.
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- Long COVID puzzle pieces are falling into place – the picture is unsettling
- Long Covid risk has dropped over time but remains substantial, study shows
