covid 19

With over 30 million listed ailments and 1 million deaths worldwide, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues unabated. The clinical spectrum of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) 2 infection ranges from asymptomatic disease to life-threatening and deadly disease. Considering that COVID-19 is a brand new disease, much about the clinical course remains unclear –especially, the possible long-term health consequences. To have a clear insight, read more below.

Cardiovascular

Myocardial inflammation and myocarditis, as well as cardiac arrhythmias, have been elucidated after SARS-CoV-2 disease. In a study of 100 patients who had recently recovered from COVID-19, cardiac MRI showed cardiac involvement in 78% and persistent myocardial inflammation in 60%. In addition, the sample was not random and was likely biased toward patients with cardiac outcomes. The duration and impact of these findings are still unclear, and prolonged follow-up is needed. However, the increased prevalence of heart failure as a major sequela of COVID-19 is of concern and includes important potential consequences for the general population of older adults with multimorbidities, as well as for younger, previously healthy individuals such as athletes.

Pulmonary

In a study of 55 patients with COVID-19, 3 months after discharge, 35 (64%) had persistent symptoms and 39 (71%) had radiologic abnormalities consistent with pulmonary dysfunction, such as signal thickening and evidence of fibrosis. In another analysis of 57 patients, abnormalities in pulmonary function test results collected 30 days after discharge, including decreased carbon monoxide diffusing capacity and decreased respiratory muscle strength, were common and occurred in 30 patients (53%) and 28 patients (49%), respectively. In association with cardiovascular comorbidity, either preexisting or as a result of COVID-19, a persistent decrease in pulmonary function could have significant adverse cardiopulmonary effects.

Neurological

SARS-CoV-2 can enter brain tissue through viremia and also by direct invasion of the olfactory nerve, resulting in anosmia. Although stroke is a serious but rare consequence of SARS-CoV-19, cases of encephalitis, seizures, and other symptoms, such as severe mood swings and “brain fog,” have been reported as early as 2 to 3 months after the onset of the disease. Past pandemics involving viral pathogens (eg, SARS-CoV-1, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus [MERS], and influenza) have been associated with neuropsychiatric sequelae that can last for weeks in “rebound” patients, which can seriously impair cognitive health, general well-being, and daily functional status.…