CNN: Redefining Covid-19: Months after infection, patients report breathing difficulty, excessive fatigue

[Pyrrhus]

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/13/health/long-haul-covid-fatigue-breathing-wellness/index.html

A good piece written by Ryan Prior, an ME patient who works for CNN:

Excerpt:

It's been five months since Lucy Gahan contracted Covid-19, and her life still hasn't returned to normal.
Gahan, a clinical psychologist in Shrewsbury, United Kingdom, hasn't been able to return to work.

The disease causes what she calls "storms," disabling periods when she feels shortness of breath, numbness in her hands and feet and her heart rate shoots up from simple tasks. Even taking a shower is possible only during an occasional respite in symptoms.

"In May and June, I could barely talk because I was so ill," she said.

Before contracting the disease in early April, the mother of two ran three times a week and had a regular yoga routine.
"I can only walk as far as the corner," she said. "In terms of running, I can't imagine when that will happen, if ever."

She is one of thousands around the world for whom Covid-19 has turned into a chronic condition. Gahan and other Covid-19 "long haulers" feel they aren't yet getting recognition for an illness that has disabled them for months, with no end in sight.

"I'm a clinical psychologist, and this is not anxiety," she said. "If doctors just say 'We don't know,' it's better than saying Covid symptoms only last two weeks."

 

[Sarahloudobby]

And finally people might listen. I wouldn’t wish poor health on anyone but feel that now Covid might open peoples eyes.

 

[pattismith]

Post COVID-19 syndrome associated with orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion syndrome, small fiber neuropathy and benefit of immunotherapy: a case report
PeterNovak
open access

published 5 days ago

Highlights

•
Post COVID-19 syndrome is associated with fatigue, brain fog and pain.
•
Orthostatic cerebral hypoperfusion syndrome (OCHOS) can be responsible for fatigue and brain fog in post COVID-19 syndrome.
•
Small fiber neuropathy (SFN) can be responsible for pain in post COVID-19 syndrome.
•
OCHOS and SFN in post COVID-19 syndrome may have autoimmune basis and early immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulins may be effective.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a novel highly contagious infectious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV2. The virus affects the human respiratory and other systems, and presents mostly as acute respiratory syndrome with fever, fatigue, dry cough, myalgia and dyspnea.

The clinical manifestations vary from no symptoms to multiple organ failure. Majority of patients fully recover. Several postinfectious presumably autoimmune complications of COVID-19 affecting the brain or peripheral large nerve fibers have been reported.

This report describes a post COVID-19 patient who developed chronic fatigue, orthostatic dizziness and brain fog consistent with orthostatic hypoperfusion syndrome (OCHOS), a form of orthostatic intolerance, and painful small fiber neuropathy (SFN). Initially, the patient was diagnosed with.


OCHOS (detected by the tilt test with transcranial Doppler monitoring) and SFN (confirmed by skin biopsy), and both OCHOS/SFN were attributed to Post Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome of presumed autoimmune etiology.

Patient recovered on symptomatic therapy.

COVID-19 triggered exacerbation of OCHOS/SFN responded to immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulins.

This case suggests that post COVID-19 syndrome may present as an autoimmune OCHOS/SFN and that early immunotherapy may be effective. Further studies are necessary to confirm the link between OCHOS/SFN and COVID-19 disease as well as to confirm the benefit of immunotherapy.