Episode #47 - Post COVID-19 condition

30 July 2021 | Science conversation

Vismita Gupta-Smith

If you have recovered from COVID-19 but are still experiencing some symptoms, you could have what is known as post-COVID condition. This is also referred to as "long COVID" sometimes. Hello and welcome to Science in 5, I'm Vismita Gupta-Smith. We are talking to Dr. Janet Diaz today. Welcome, Janet. Janet, let's talk about the symptoms that should alert a person that they may have this condition.

Dr Janet Diaz

So, some of the most common symptoms of post COVID-19 condition or as you said, long COVID, include shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, which people call brain fog, as well as fatigue. Those are the three most common. However, there has been more than 200 symptoms that actually have been reported in patients. So that list is quite long. So other symptoms that patients or people may experience include things such as chest pain, such as trouble speaking, some have described anxiety or depression, muscle aches, fever, loss of smell, loss of taste. So the list is quite long, but those top three are the ones that have been described.

Vismita Gupta-Smith

Janet, how long does this condition last?

Dr Janet Diaz

Our understanding of the duration or how long this condition lasts is still not completely clear. It has been described that the condition can last three months, some have described as long as six months and potentially up to nine months. But as you know, we're still about one year and a half into the pandemic. There's still more studies that need to be done to follow patients who develop post COVID-19 condition or long COVID and to see when their symptoms we hope will resolve.

Vismita Gupta-Smith

Janet, what about treatment for this condition? Do we have treatments available?

Dr Janet Diaz

Any patient or person who develops post COVID-19 condition should go seek care. The care pathways should be multidisciplinary in nature, meaning that they can include your primary care provider as well as relevant specialist rehab professionals, social care workers, psychosocial workers, mental health professionals. And that's the type of care people with post COVID-19 condition should receive. In regards to specific treatment, we don't yet have one. The reason is because we don't yet understand why this develops. So, as we're learning more about the actual reason or mechanism of the disease developing, then we hope to have a specific treatment.

Vismita Gupta-Smith

Janet, what do we know so far about vaccination and post COVID-19 condition?

Dr Janet Diaz

So, there is still a lot to learn about the impacts of vaccination and post COVID-19 condition. However, it is very clear that preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, preventing COVID-19 is the best way to prevent the development of post COVID-19 condition or long COVID. So the use of vaccines we know reduces hospitalisation, reduces mortality, and so all those that are eligible should do that. Public health measures such as mask wearing in the appropriate places, physical distancing, hand-washing, are also extremely important to prevent COVID-19.

Vismita Gupta-Smith

Thank you, Janet. That was Dr. Janet Diaz. Until next time then. Stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.