Los Angeles – So many people have been dealing with the COVID-19 infection that many now think of the virus like the common cold or flu.
New research suggests that’s far from the truth. As we fear the decline of COVID, a parallel pandemic is emerging.
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“We are still learning about the long-term health effects of COVID infection,” said Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Feller.
Dr. Michael Ghobrial of the Cleveland Clinic says it’s more common in younger patients.
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That’s as doctors across the country deal with a rise in patients who either can’t overcome their initial COVID symptoms or acquire new symptoms that last for at least a month. .
“The best-described long-term COVID-19 symptoms are fatigue, decreased exercise capacity, breathing problems, brain fog, and loss of taste and smell,” Ferrer said.
Various studies have found that long haul COVID or long hauler syndrome can occur in all populations.
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“It’s more common in women than men. It’s also common in patients with comorbidities,” Dr. Ghobrial said.
In a study of thousands of veterans, Ferrer said there was new evidence showing that repeated COVID infections increase the risk of long-distance syndrome.
“Many of these disorders were severe and life-altering and included stroke, cognitive impairment, memory impairment and peripheral nervous system disorders,” she said. “People who were infected three times had three times the risk of long-term health problems compared to those who were not infected.”
Avoiding infection is key, and while COVID vaccines and boosters don’t always prevent infection, many studies have found they can reduce the risk of COVID over the long term.
“People who got two doses of the vaccine before getting COVID were about 75% less likely to get COVID,” Ferrer said. “People who received three doses were 84% less likely to get COVID.”
There’s a lot to learn, but Ferrer says getting vaccinated and boosted is one of the easiest ways to significantly reduce your risk.
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