So you beat COVID-19 but are still having symptoms. Now what?

While finally testing negative for COVID-19 can bring much relief, it can also bring confusion and anxiety when you continue to have symptoms even after testing negative. It may help to know that you are not alone- up to 20% of patients that recover from COVID-19 show a lasting reduction in organ function long after the virus has been eradicated- this is often referred to as Post COVID Syndrome, or “long COVID-19”, with patients sometimes referring to themselves as “long haulers.” 

The cause of this syndrome is unknown. Normally, once your immune system clears a virus, it can’t cause any more damage. Coronavirus is unique in this sense. Scientists are unable to pinpoint what exactly causes dysfunction to develop even after the virus is no longer in your system. 

Perhaps even more baffling is the seemingly random way it chooses its victims. Even healthy, fit young athletes with no underlying conditions can develop lasting damage that reduces their function in drastic ways. Not even the severity of your symptoms during COVID can predict the likelihood of continuing complications after recovery from the virus, nor the severity of the dysfunction. And sometimes, these complications can be insidious, with no noticeable symptoms to signal the hidden pathology.  Oftentimes, these complications span across multiple organ systems, causing varied and seemingly unrelated symptoms. Furthermore, the resultant damage or dysfunction does not spontaneously resolve over time without medical intervention. 

Thankfully, we can still treat the underlying organ damage whether or not we know the cause. Here at our Post COVID-19 clinic, we are committed to providing holistic care with our wide range of collaborative specialists to give you the best chance at a full recovery.