Dealing with the pain of long Covid

IS the threat of Covid-19 really over? Not by a long shot, as evidenced by its extended effects, particularly long Covid.

Long Covid is a condition where people experience symptoms for an extended period of time, sometimes months, after recovering from the initial infection.

While the exact cause of long Covid is not yet known, it is generally thought to be related to the body’s immune response to the initial infection.

In Malaysia, there have been 4.8 million cases of Covid-19 with 36,262 fatalities. Based on the latest statistics, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that between 10% and 20% of those who recovered from Covid-19 are currently suffering from residual symptoms.

In Malaysia, according to Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, at least 60%, or six in 10, of patients who recovered from Category 4 (symptomatic, pneumonia, requiring supplemental oxygen) and 5 (critically ill with or without other organ failures) had experienced symptoms of long Covid as at May 2022.

According to a study conducted by researchers at Universiti Malaya, one in every five Covid-19 survivors reported having long Covid. The Delta variant was primarily responsible for the cases.

We are not sure whether the prevalence of long Covid will be the same for the Omicron variant, but we can conclude that long Covid is a matter that warrants serious attention.

Most of the time, individuals, particularly the elderly and those in low socio-economic groups with low level of education and limited access to healthcare facilities, are ignorant of the symptoms associated with long Covid.

Symptoms, which affect multiple systems in the body, include fatigue, headache, difficulty breathing, persistent cough, muscle aches, insomnia, speech difficulties, memory loss and difficulty concentrating on tasks. Some may even lead to mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

Patients in Category 4 or 5 may also experience a severe cough after recovery due to hardened and scarred lungs. They may also manifest with symptoms of an autoimmune disorder like joint pain and skin rashes. As such, managing patients with long Covid is not easy and requires a multidisciplinary team with different areas of expertise.

Recent studies show that women are twice at risk of suffering from long Covid compared to men. Others at higher risk are people with severe illnesses, obesity, underlying comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension or psychiatric conditions like depression, and patients with more than five symptoms during the active phase of their Covid-19 infection.

There is no specific treatment for long Covid at this point in time, but managing symptoms and supporting overall health and well-being are important in helping patients to recover.

Many have found that symptom management through lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) and self-care practices (such as meditation and yoga) are helpful in improving their overall health.

Long Covid can present in many different ways, making it hard to pin down a diagnosis. This often causes frustration among patients because they cannot get a clear answer from their doctors.

The Health Ministry and local universities and research centres are currently conducting studies on long Covid, but the results are yet to be published.

If you suspect that you have long Covid, seek help from a medical professional or mental health provider. Keep in mind that everyone experiences the condition differently and will need individualised care. MOHAMMAD HAIKAL KUSHARIN SADIKIN

NAZLIN ADLINA MOHD MAHYUDIN

MAYGHEN SELVANAYAGAM

DIYAANAH NASIR

KHERN WEI CHERN

LEE KANG LING

THIYNESVARAN RAMACHANDRAN

LEE JESSCE-LYN

and DR LIM YIN CHENG

Faculty of Medicine,

Universiti Malaya