When Jamie Cantrell developed COVID-19, she was in perfect health. During her training for a half marathon, a 44-year-old marketing professional from Lewisville, TX, had a headache unlike any other.
A positive COVID-19 test result did not stop Cantrell from quarantining herself in her basement and working as usual.
When Cantrell went to jogging a few weeks following her recuperation, she noticed numbness in her foot. She got a new pair of running shoes, thinking that may be the problem, and continued her journey. Eventually, she developed “head-to-toe” neuropathy, in which the numbness spread up her leg. Cantrell is now one of the millions of individuals suffering with long-haul COVID, a condition that affects up to 40% of those who survived COVID-19.
Few studies existed before recently that could tell clinicians who was at risk of developing long-haul COVID. Cases vary from those who had a severe acute COVID-19 to those like Cantrell, who had a moderate sickness at the beginning of the outbreak. An international collaboration is now shedding light on the possible causes of long-haul COVID, medically termed as PASC (post-acute sequelae of COVID-19).
“We detected overlap with other PASC variables, but we don’t know whether it may foreshadow to more significant long COVID,” he adds..
I’m having a hard time accepting the fact that, despite the fact that most people around me are treating Covid as a non-issue, #LongCovid has completely ruined my life. It’s difficult for me to accept that life may be unjust and unpredictable, but I know it’s true.
Many people with type 2 diabetes will be found in a large research like ours, adds Heath. If you have diabetes, you’re more likely to have other health issues, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
A high viral load was also not a surprise, given that majority of the research participants were early COVID-19 patients, before vaccinations were available.
Patients who have high viral indicators in their blood may have a long-term impact on their recovery from the condition, adds Heath. Antivirals and vaccinations may help prevent PASC, based on the viral signatures found in the patients.
Autoantibodies, a third source of danger, are the antithesis of antibodies, which vaccinations give and which aid in the battle against the virus. In contrast to invading infections, autoantibodies assault and change your immune response to your own proteins. Those with high levels of autoantibodies do not react as effectively to serious illnesses, despite the fact that everyone carries them.
Long-haul COVID symptoms are often accompanied by neurological symptoms caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), according to the findings of the study’s last risk factor.
EBV is “latent” in most people’s blood, and when they develop COVID, the immune system focuses on this new virus, adds Heath. EBV is reactivated as a result of this.”
According to Cantrell’s COVID, this is consistent.
Since seeing an integrative doctor, he’s tested for various things, including high levels of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). It was in remission for many months last summer when my early lengthy COVID showed up as small-fiber sensory neuropathy.
When Cantrell became sick with a sinus infection in October, he started feeling dizzy, dizzy and had a racing heartbeat. COVID-19 long-haul patients are more likely to suffer from POTS, or postural orthostatic dysrhythmia syndrome, now that she has returned to the United States.
“I’ve got to redefine for myself what I can and cannot accomplish,” she adds. My doctor and I, on the other hand, are delving deeper to discover the underlying roots of my condition.”
How to Proceed from This Point Forward
Although the current trial was tiny, it was an important first step in determining where the medical community could be heading with long-term COVID therapy in the near future.
As Heath points out, “treatments exist for most of the illnesses we’ve identified as being related with [long COVID].” In the near future, we may be able to predict who will acquire [long COVID] at the time of infection,” he says. Rather than a random event, we’re discovering that certain individuals are more susceptible.”
Medical experts may be able to begin therapy for COVID sooner if they can discover it earlier, says Heath. This may prevent long-term COVID.
For the last 11 months, I’ve been battling #LongCovid. I was never admitted to a medical facility. In fact, I didn’t even have a “mild” case. Instead, I became infected with Long Covid after being asymptomatic.
Heath is certain that the enigma of long-haul COVID will be solved, but more research is needed. It was a major breakthrough, he explains, and the patients’ willingness to assist researchers uncover the condition was a major one.
With the aid of the research and her new doctor, Cantrell sees a brighter future.
“For the long-haul population, there’s a broad range of misery,” she explains. When you’re not feeling well, it might seem like you’re making sluggish progress.” But we’ll find a solution; don’t give up hope.”