COVID-19 Long Haulers

As the pandemic evolves, experts are learning that some COVID-19 patients are left with debilitating symptoms and are at high risk of long-term health problems. People with both mild and severe cases of the virus have reported to experience lingering symptoms long after their recovery from the illness. These patients are known as long-haulers and the symptoms appear to be affecting different groups of people (young, old, healthy and people with medical conditions). Although, long-term complications of the coronavirus are still unknown, medical experts recommend that doctors closely monitor all patients recovering from COVID-19 to see how their organs are functioning over time.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most commonly reported long-term symptoms include:

  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cough
  • Joint pain
  • Chest pain

Other reported long-term symptoms include:

  • Difficulty with thinking and concentration (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”)
  • Depression
  • Muscle pain
  • Headache
  • Intermittent fever
  • Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations)

More serious long-term complications have been reported and may affect different organ systems in the body include:

  • Cardiovascular: inflammation of the heart muscle
  • Respiratory: lung function abnormalities
  • Renal: acute kidney injury
  • Dermatologic: rash, hair loss
  • Neurological: smell and taste problems, sleep issues, difficulty with concentration, memory problems
  • Psychiatric: depression, anxiety, changes in mood

For more information, please visit Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

If you are an essential worker and you have contracted the COVID-19 VIRUS as a direct result of your employment and continue to experience lingering symptoms, you may have a workers’ compensation claim. Please give us a call and schedule a free consultation with one our workers’ compensation experts.