The Long COVID-19 Syndrome and What to Do About It

This article is about the Long Covid-19 Syndrome, wherein the symptoms of COVID-19 continue long after the acute illness has passed.

Long Covid-19 is also known as Persistent COVID, Post COVID, and post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. The sufferers sometimes call themselves Long-haulers.

It can happen to people who had mild, moderate, or severe symptoms of COVID-19.

There is no official time frame before the term applies; however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently proposed symptoms that extend beyond 4 weeks after the initial infection.

Symptoms of Long COVID-19

The most common symptoms of Long COVID include fatigue, dyspnea, cough, arthralgia, and chest pain.

Other reported symptoms include cognitive impairment or brain fog, depression, muscle aches, headache, fever, and palpitations.

Serious symptoms of Long COVID

• Cardiovascular: inflammation of the heart muscles, ineffective pumping of the heart that can lead to heart failure
• Lung problems: Shortness of breath
• Acute kidney injury
• Rash, loss of hair
• Neurological: loss of sense of smell and taste, sleep dysregulation, altered cognition (brain fog), and memory impairment
• Psychiatric: depression, anxiety, changes in mood

Who gets the Long COVID?

The CDC conducted a telephone survey of a random sample of 292 adult outpatients who tested positive for COVID-19. Among the 274 respondents who were symptomatic at the time of testing

• 35% reported not having returned to their usual state of health 2 weeks or more after testing
• 26% of these patients were aged 18 to 34 years
• 32% were aged 35 to 49 years
• 47% were aged ≥50 years

An age of ≥50 years and the presence of three or more chronic medical conditions were associated with not returning to usual health within 14 to 21 days.

Moreover, one in five individuals aged 18 to 34 years who did not have chronic medical conditions did not return to baseline health when interviewed at a median of 16 days from the testing date.

The possible causes of why Long COVID happens

1. Organ damage from the acute infection
2. Acute infection changing to a persistent hyperinflammatory state
3. Ongoing viral activity
4. Inadequate antibody response

Theoretical Molecular Basis of LOng covid-19

Previous articles, COVID-19, Autoimmunity and Vaccination, Part 1, and COVID-19, Autoimmunity and Vaccination Part 2, in this website discussed many molecular similarities between the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the human proteins.

The similarities in the protein sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the human body can cause an immune response developed against the virus to turn against the human host, causing an autoimmune reaction.

The autoimmune reaction can be against the structures, genes, and enzymes of the human body. This can result in several diseases like Alzheimer’s, SLE, and multiple sclerosis.

What Can Be done about Long COVID?

No definite recommendation has been made for Long COVID, but one study with a small sample size of 33 was done in Lima, Peru.

In that study, they used Ivermectin, and the following protocol was used:

For cases with mild symptoms,

Ivermectin was administered at a dose of 0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for 2 days. If patients still had symptoms after the 2 doses, 2 additional days of Ivermectin treatment were given at the same dose.

For moderate cases:

A dose of 0.4 mg per kilogram of body weight was prescribed for 2 days, followed by 0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight for 2 additional days.

If a patient continued to have symptoms after the fourth day of treatment, more doses of Ivermectin were indicated. Treatment then continued for additional days until either clinical improvement was observed, or there was no longer further clinical improvement with treatment.

The Results

31 out of 33 patients (94%) showed partial or full clinical improvement after 2 doses of Ivermectin.

Total improvement was observed in 29 (87.9%) of the patients after the 2 daily doses of Ivermectin.

In 12.1% of patients whose symptoms had not been entirely resolved after the first 2 doses, additional Ivermectin treatment doses were administered according to the protocol.

Total clinical resolution of symptoms was observed in 94% of cases.

The possible explanation of the results is that Ivermectin is an anti-inflammatory and can stop the SARS-CoV-2 virus from multiplying.

The results are certainly encouraging, and the authors recommend that more studies be made with higher numbers of patients.

The National Institute of Health has a neutral position with regards to Ivermectin. However, there are many studies done worldwide and in the US showing the efficacy of Ivermectin against COVID-19.

More information about Ivermectin for COVID-19 can be found in this article, The I-MASK+ for the Prophylaxis and Early Treatment Protocol of COVID-19.

Don’t take Ivermectin without consulting with your doctor.

Knowledge about Covid-19 is rapidly evolving. Information may update as new studies are made. Stay current by subscribing. Feel free to share.

Don’t Get Sick!

Related readings:

1. 60% may already have Immunity to COVID-19
2. Molecular Mimicry between the SARS-CoV-2 and the Breathing Center
3. Antibodies to COVID-19 can Exist in the Uninfected
4. Sugar Increases Blood Pressure, Weight, Worsens Diabetes and COVID-19 Outcomes
5. Physical Activity Correlates with Life Span
6. How Does Exercise Prolong Life?
7. The Benefits of Resistance Training
8. The Surprising Benefits of Sweating
9. The Good and Faithful Servant
10. How to Do Blood Flow Restriction Training

Reference:

Aguirre Chang, Gustavo & Saavedra, Eduardo & Yui, Manuel & Trujillo Figueredo, Aurora & Córdova Masías, José Aníbal. (2020). POST-ACUTE OR PROLONGED COVID-19: IVERMECTIN TREATMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH PERSISTENT SYMPTOMS OR POST-ACUTE.

CDC. Late Sequela of COVID-19.

Image Credit: By Mikael Häggström, M.D.- Author info- Reusing images – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89536333

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