Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions

The current Omicron strain seems to have a higher infection rate than the Delta strain, but the symptoms themselves seem mild, so the COVID-19 pandemic may end. Under such circumstances, Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions have recently begun to attract attention.   As of July 2022, 90 million people in the U.S. have been infected with COVID-19, and 1 million have died; of the 90 million people infected with COVID-19, data show that millions are suffering from Post-COVID Conditions. That number has been growing.

What is Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions

Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions are conditions in which symptoms such as low-grade fever, fatigue, breathlessness, headache, etc., last for several weeks to several months following infection with a COVID-19, once symptoms such as fever have recovered or after asymptomatic infection. The same symptoms may continue for a long time, or a whole range of symptoms may appear. Once symptoms have resolved, the same symptoms may recur a short time later, or different symptoms may appear.

The fever and cough have cleared up, but the patient is often labeled a lazy sloth when those around them do not understand because they cannot overcome the dullness for an extended period or because they easily get tired and fall asleep even after light labor.

The highly complex thing is that Long-COVID can occur even in asymptomatic COVID-19 infection. If the patient is unaware of the infection, it is difficult to pinpoint the connection with COVID-19. There are also cases in which patients have been treated by a number of specialists for unexplained illnesses, only to be concluded that it is a "psychological problem."

Symptoms of Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions

Symptoms may last for a prolonged period during the COVID-19 infection or develop as completely new symptoms after the fever, and other symptoms have cleared. These symptoms are also characterized by their development regardless of the severity of the COVID-19. A number of cases have been reported in which asymptomatically infected patients have developed Long-COVID conditions.

The symptoms of Long-COVID conditions are very extensive. Some people have only one of the following, while others have several.

• Breathing difficulty
• Dullness and fatigue
• Worsening of symptoms after exercise or activity
• Worsening of symptoms after stress
• Feeling lightheaded and foggy
• Inability to concentrate
• Prolonged cough
• Heartburn/stomach pain
• Headache
• Palpitations
• Body aches
• Sensation as if being pricked with a needle
• Persistent diarrhea
• Sleep disturbance
• Low-grade fever that does not go away
• Dizziness
• Eczema
• Smell and taste disorders
• Disruption of the menstrual cycle
• Hair loss

Children and Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions

Long-COVID conditions cases have been reported in children and adolescents, although chances are less common in children and adolescents than in adults. In general, symptoms such as fatigue, headache, insomnia, fogginess, muscle and joint pain, and coughing seem to be common among children and adolescents. In some cases, parents of small children are unaware of Long-COVID conditions because they have difficulty communicating their symptoms.

Causes of Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions

COVID-19 is characterized by damage not only to the respiratory system, such as the throat and lungs, but also to various body parts, including blood vessels, heart, liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, brain, and nerves. Some people also have autoimmune-like conditions or triggered autoimmune diseases due to immune overreaction and cross-reactivity. (An autoimmune disease is a condition in which one's immune cells mistakenly attack one's own body, causing inflammation in various body parts.)

According to the Salk Institute in California findings, the COVID-19 spike protein is toxic on its own and causes damage to blood vessels. Since it causes damage to blood vessels, it can cause damage to various organs. Damage to blood vessels in the brain can cause a cerebral infarction, damage to blood vessels in the heart can cause myocarditis, damage to blood vessels in the lungs can cause pneumonia, and damage to blood vessels in the kidneys can cause nephritis and kidney failure.

Moreover, the Salk Institute has found that when spike proteins attach to ACE2 receptors in our cells, the mitochondria are damaged and ruptured.

ACE2 receptors are present in almost all cells: blood vessels, heart, lungs, nose, throat, gastrointestinal tract, skin, hair follicles, brain, nerves, eyes, thyroid gland, liver, kidney, pancreas, ovary, uterus, and testis.

Mitochondria are the cell's power generators. If mitochondria are damaged, energy cannot be produced, and cell activity declines, leading to cell death in the worst-case scenario. Based on the research of the Salk Institute, the cause of Long-COVID conditions is considered to be either an excessive inflammatory response or mitochondrial damage, or both at the same time.

Importance of Long-COVID or Post-COVID Conditions

At this time, there is little understanding of Long-COVID conditions, and treatment is mainly based on management, but since the cause of the disease is not being treated, even if one symptom improves, new symptoms will appear, and once the medication is stopped, the symptoms will return.

Therefore, there are three essential factors in the treatment of Long-COVID conditions:

Reference: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/us/covid-cases.html　https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/long-term-effects/index.html　Front. Immunol., 19 January 2021 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.617089　https://www.salk.edu/news-release/the-novel-coronavirus-spike-protein-plays-additional-key-role-in-illness/　http://jsv.umin.jp/journal/v52-2pdf/virus52-2_251-255.pdf　https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2020.594495/full　J Inflamm Res. 2014; 7: 69–87. 2014 May 29. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S63898

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.