Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts have warned that the effects of the coronavirus can last weeks or months after the first symptoms have subsided. “Long COVID” is still poorly understood and remains a risk, even when variants of the virus produce a milder initial illness. In fact, long COVID can occur even if your infection was originally asymptomatic. These are some of the surefire signs you’ve already had COVID, which Fauci says may have turned into a long COVID. Read on to learn more – and to protect your health and the health of others, don’t miss these Sure signs you already had COVID.
Fauci has said recurrent body pain, or myalgia, is a common ongoing symptom of COVID. They can appear anywhere in the body and can be caused by inflammation caused by the virus. A study of COVID “long-distance drivers” found that 67 percent reported body aches.
According to a study published earlier this year, up to 30% of people who have had COVID experience symptoms a full year after diagnosis. Fatigue is the most common. Fauci has previously long compared COVID to chronic fatigue syndrome. “You can see people who have recovered and really aren’t getting back to normal, that they have things that strongly suggest myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome,” he said.
In addition to fatigue, Fauci said a long COVID can lead to brain fog and trouble concentrating. Experts aren’t sure why, but a Study released this month suggests the virus can attack the cells lining the brain’s blood vessels, causing inflammation and damage.
“We don’t know if it’s cause and effect or just related in a way that might not really be relevant, but we have to pay attention to that,” Fauci said Washington Post earlier this year. A few possibilities: A high viral load can damage body tissues, the virus could reactivate previous dormant infections such as Epstein-Barr virus, or the virus can remain in unknown reservoirs in the body, continuing to plague it and cause harm.
“The data is pretty clear that if you’re vaccinated and you get a breakthrough infection, you have a lower risk of getting long-term COVID than if you’re infected without vaccination,” Fauci said. “This is again – again – another argument as to why it is so important for us to get vaccinated and when we are vaccinated to be refreshed.”
Follow the basics and help end this pandemic no matter where you live – get vaccinated as soon as possible; if you live in an area with low vaccination Prices, enter an N95 face masknot travelling, maintaining social distancing, avoiding large crowds, not going indoors with people you are not sheltering with (especially in bars), practicing good hand hygiene and protecting your life and the lives of others, not visiting any of these 35 places where you are most likely to contract COVID.
Michael Martin
Michael Martin is a New York City-based writer and editor whose health and lifestyle content has also been featured on Beachbody and Openfit. As a writer for Eat This, Not That! he has also published in New York, Architectural Digest, Interview and many others. Continue reading
