MCHS Occupational Medicine Specialist talks about “Long Haul COVID”

While most people infected with COVID-19 recover within a matter of a few weeks, some continue to struggle with difficult symptoms for months after the initial infection. These COVID-19 “long haulers” often report dealing with extreme fatigue, brain fog and other challenging symptoms.

Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn, a Mayo Clinic occupational medicine specialist, has spent months working with patients diagnosed with post-COVID syndrome, and he talked with KAUS News and other media outlets during a press briefing about who is most susceptible to long-haul COVID as opposed to the short term…

Dr. Vanichkachorn was asked if there is a pattern in long-haul COVID patients’ recovery times..

Dr. Vanichkachorn was also asked if people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can still suffer from long-haul COVID?

According to the largest study yet to examine the recovery of a group of COVID-19 survivors 12 months after the illness, nearly half of people who are hospitalized with COVID-19 suffer at least one lingering symptom 1 year after discharge, with the most common lingering symptoms being fatigue and muscle weakness. One third continue to have shortness of breath.

The study went on to indicate that overall, at 12 months, COVID-19 survivors had more problems with mobility, pain or discomfort, and anxiety or depression, and had lower self-assessment scores of quality of life than COVID-free peers.