I am an editor who has not left my condo for more than 4 months, unless it is for medical reasons. And I wonder when, or if, I’ll do it again.
Trump said 99% of COVID-19 instances are “totally harmless.” His opinion is “living with that.” Unfortunately, thousands of COVID-19 survivors do just that, suffering debilitating symptoms that appear and pass for months after contracting the new virus.
Unfortunately, we notice that the disease can be not only deadly, but chronic, or, as those in poor health call it, “long distance.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), when COVID-19 was first identified, about 80% of infections were considered “benign or asymptomatic”. On average, it was thought that maximum patients would recover after approximately two weeks. We know, of course, that others have serious cases and that some patients die.
And now we notice some other cohorts: long-term survivors, those who enter limbo between weeks when they are actively inflamed with the coronavirus, and who suffer months later, until they recover.
Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association tested 143 Italian patients who had been hospitalized by COVID-19 and who had survived. One found that 4 out of five still reported symptoms; at that time, two months later.
And the online page www.C19RecoveryAwareness.com features an increasing number of items with longer recovery times and headaches in other people with mild to moderate symptoms.
Long-distance survivors call it the ‘rona mountain’. Symptoms come with overwhelming fatigue, shortness of breath, tingling, buzzing, gastrointestinal problems, immediate heart rate and brain fog. Some other people have not been able to serve for months, including with medical help, rest, exercise, nutrients and supplements.
The virus has been compared to other postviral situations, such as chronic fatigue syndrome, but patients with maximum MS/CFS never recover, and no one can be sure of this new viral situation. However, some long rides have improved; others, so far, have not.
In March, after weeks of shortness of breath, for me it’s now 122 days and counts. I have noticed pneumologists, cardiologists, gastroenterologists, vascular specialists, neurologists and a new number one open care physician. These tests have overcome many diseases. My GP now thinks I have a “post-viral syndrome” and “I hope one day will disappear.”
After six weeks of prednisone and continued use of inhalers, nebulizers and antibiotics/prescription drugs, my shortness of breath and severe breathing improved. But other symptoms evolved and remained.
There is no cure, so I check my important signs, take notes, walk, focus on healthy foods and supplements, drink ginger tea, rest and stress.
Support groups on Slack and Facebook have sprung up. I joined Long Haul COVID Fighters – Round 1 (80 Days+). Amy Watson founded the private group in April, as a safe place to share and find support. Today the closed group has over 5,000 members from over 75 countries. Long Haul COVID Fighters – Round 2 was launched on June 15, and is rapidly growing.
“We expect the disease to last at least a few years,” says Chelsea Alinor, the group’s administrator. “Tens of thousands of other people depend on the answers.”
“As long as this virus annihilates our nation, I am in a position to organize myself and do my homework. I’m still recovering, but gaining advantages is valuing sacrifice.”
David Putrino, Ph.D. in Neuroscience and Director of Rehabilitation Innovation at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, he told ABC News: “Knowledge categorically demonstrates that this is genuine. These other people suffer from fatigue, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal symptoms, pain. “.
Mount Sinai is the first position of its kind for post-COVID-19 care and has an information/research center for other people with post-viral symptoms. They will be offering a recovery program, the town halls and weekly seminars for the group will live.
“Everyone gathers from all the specialties to talk about the most productive way to care for other people who arrive with symptoms all over the map,” Putrino said.
Stony Brook University and Stanford University are now partnering with Dysautonomia International for research.
One challenge is that many other people with long distances are not tested or negatively evaluated. But team members do not differ in the onset of other symptoms over time, regardless of the effects of their tests, suggesting that those with negative evidence actually face the same disease.
“With a new virus, it’s especially vital for doctors to pay attention to patients,” says Dr. Nabil Tadross, director of the Florida Florida Clinic’s Concierge Medicine program. “They are contributing to a new bankruptcy in our internal medicine manual.”
“In years, we’ll have more accurate symptoms and tests,” says Dr. Tadross. “Let’s hope we have effective treatments and vaccines. But right now, we’re learning about the long-term headaches of this disease one day at a time. And patients are leading the way.”
Author of places I remember: stories, truths, delights of a hundred countries. Visit my website, tweet me @lealane or stay on Instagram, where I am Travelea. Addition
Author of places I remember: stories, truths, delights of a hundred countries. Visit my website, tweet me @lealane or stay on Instagram, where I am Travelea. In addition to Forbes, I wrote on the blog about the Huffpost, the salon and the Daily Beast. I have written for the New York Times, the Miami Herald and the Gannett newspaper; was editor-in-chief of Travel Smart (a trail of what I do well); gave the weekly print on The Travel Channel; and was a regular speaker at the New York Times Travel Show. Award-winning editorial and passionate photographer, I have contributed to dozens of guides. has created more than a thousand articles and columns and is the editor of 8 books. I love sharing discoveries in Array, gastronomy, art, culture and the art of living through my words and photos.