Research is still ongoing to know about the post-COVID-19 effecton people.Doctors are closely monitoring people who have had COVID-19 to see how their organs are functioning after recovery.

Many large medical centershave also opened specialized clinics to provide care for people who present persistent symptoms or related illnesses after they recover from COVID-19. Support groups are also working parallelly.

Most people who had COVID-19 recovered quickly. But the long-lasting problems of COVID-19 have made it even more important to reduce the spread of this pandemic and mandatorily calls by following precautions.

A subset of people who've recovered from COVID-19 is experiencing symptoms that linger beyond testing negative for the virus. These individuals are referred to as "COVID long-haulers."

COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. The virus has the potential to damage human organs such as the lungs, heart, and brain leading to long-term health problems.

The older, the younger and the otherwise healthy people are all commonly mentioning about feeling unwell for weeks to months even after recovering from the infection.

Common signs and symptoms that linger over time include:

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Cough
• Joint pain
• Chest pain
• Memory, concentration,or sleep problems
• Muscle pain or headache
• Fast or pounding heartbeat
• Loss of smell or taste
• Depression or anxiety
• Fever
• Dizziness when you stand
• Worsened symptoms after physical or mental activities

There are hints and suggestions as to who is most likely to develop these lingering symptoms, though.

The risk of developing post-COVID syndrome is higher on:

• Adults over the age of 50
• People who experienced a more severe case
• Individuals with underlying health conditions, particularly cardiopulmonary issues, hypertension, diabetes, or obesity

There have been cases of organ damage caused by COVID-19 as well. Although the disease primarily affects the lungs, other organs, including the heart, kidneys, and the brain are also subject to damage.

Organ damage if any also leads to health complications that linger after COVID-19 illness. The lasting health effects in some people included long-term breathing problems, heart complications, chronic kidney impairment, stroke, and Guillain-Barre syndrome (a condition that causes temporary paralysis).

Some adults and children also complained about experiencing multisystem inflammatory syndrome after they had COVID-19.

In such conditions, some organs and tissues become severely inflamed, like:

• Blood clots and blood vessel problems

Blood cells are more likely to clump up and form clots due to COVID-19. Having large clots can cause heart attacks and strokes.Heart damage caused by COVID-19 is believed to have stemmed from very small clots that block tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the heart muscle.

Blood clots can also occur in the lungs, legs, liver, and kidneys. COVID-19 also weakens blood vessels and causes them to leak. This contributes to potentially long-lasting problems with the liver and kidneys.

• Mood and fatigue issues

People who had to be treated in the intensive care unit, with mechanical assistance such as ventilators to breathe are more likely to later develop post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, and anxiety.

Scientists are researching the long-term effects seen in related viruses, such as the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

Many people who had recovered from SARS had also developed chronic fatigue syndrome, a complex disorder characterized by extreme fatigue that worsens with physical or mental activity. The same could be true with people who have had COVID-19.

What should someone who's experiencing post-COVID syndrome do?

Scheduling an appointment with your primary care physician is the most appropriate thing to do. Never opt to self-treat.

Your doctor will diagnose the severity of your lingering symptoms, treat the mild ones, and refer you to a specialist for any that are more advanced.

If you had been hospitalized for more severe symptoms during your COVID, you may already have a cardiologist with whom you can follow up about any heart issues, such as chest pain. Similarly, a pulmonologist can check to address any lung issues, such as breathing difficulty.

The symptoms of the post-COVID syndrome are diverse and this condition is so new and unique. It is advised to approach aclinic/hospital that is dedicated to helping people manage the post-COVID syndrome.

The purpose of suchclinics and hospitalsis to provide you with thespecialists’treatment for post-COVID symptoms and conditions.

Such clinics will have a team of doctors specializing in:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonology
• Gastroenterology
• Haematology
• Nephrology
• Neurology
• Endocrinology
• Psychiatry
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
• Primary care

Diagnosis

Taking the necessary tests will help to determine the severity of your symptoms and thereby, your doctor can prescribe the required medication.

• If you are experiencing fatigueregularly, a Complete Blood count (CBC) can help determinethe haemoglobin and other related counts.

• Vitamin D can be checked to know deficiency if any.

• A Thyroid function test (TFT) will let you know Hypo or Hyperthyroidism.

• For symptoms like shortness of breath or difficulty breathing a Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) can help in checking the function of the lungs

• A Cough-Chest X-Ray and a CRP test can detect chest infection.

• If persistent Joint pain is bothering you, a RA test will help you know the conditions of Rheumatoid Arthritis,Vitamin D deficiency, and Anti-TPO antibodies will give information on the presence of thyroid antibodies if any.

• CT of the chest or X-ray of the chest lets your doctor know about the underlying cause of your post-covid chest pain.

• For frequent memory, concentration, or sleep problems, a complete Blood count(CBC) will help in determining whether you are anaemic.

• The reason for a fast or pounding heartbeat can be determined with the help of the D-Dimer test which is performed to know the blood clots or blood vessel problems.

• Fever-Procalcitonin (PCT) for blood infection or Interleukin -6(IL-6) can be done to check for inflammation

Bottomline

Post-COVID syndrome is a newphenomenon, and studies are still revolving around it. But doctors know its symptoms, particularly the extreme fatigue which can have huge downstream effects on a person's quality of life, and impact his family life and work productivity.Specialty doctors and hospitals who are working as a team have a unique goal to help such people manage their lingering symptoms as effectively as possible.

The clinic also focuses on performing impactful research and provides doctors with access to those tools that can help tailor care to the specific treatments someone previously received or the particular strain of the virus he or she was infected with.

Lastly, it's all the more reason to continue to take the essential steps to reduce your risk of getting sick.

Let us remember and continue to follow the preventive measures that can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 including:

• Social distancing
• Wearing a mask
• Avoiding crowds or large gatherings
• Practicing excellent hand hygiene and avoiding touching your face

If you have recovered from COVID-19 but still have certain lingering symptoms, it is a must to seek specialized care for the post-COVID syndrome.