According to the CDC, Post COVID conditions or long COVID affects nearly one in five (19%) of the 40% of US adults who reported having COVID. Older adults are more likely than young to experience long COVID, often seeing the symptoms last three or more months after their initial COVID contraction. Women are more likely (9.4%) compared to men (5.5%) to experience long COVID. People who have experienced severe COVID symptoms are most likely to experience long COVID, but people who experienced low or even no symptoms can develop long COVID as well. The manifestations of long COVID are very similar to COVID including fatigue, fever, lung symptoms (difficulty breathing) as well as more serious manifestations that vary from the original COVID symptoms including neurological symptoms, muscular pain, heart symptoms (chest pain, fast heart beat), blood clots, etc (Mayo Clinic). According to a study on pathophysiology of long COVID done in 2022, the main underlying pathophysiological mechanisms found are immune dysregulation, auto-immunity, endothelial dysfunction, occult viral persistence, as well as coagulation activation. There are currently many trials undergoing for potential treatments to long COVID. Current treatments include anti inflammatory colchicine, beta blockers, breathing exercises, among many more.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs press releases/2022 /20220622.htm
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2022. 2076901e
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02140-we

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