Nick Knowles reveals he kept his long covid 'a secret'
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The CDC says people with post-COVID conditions can have a wide range of symptoms that can last more than four weeks or even months after infection. It states: “Most patients’ symptoms slowly improve with time. However, for some people, post-COVID conditions may last months, and potentially years, after COVID-19 illness and may sometimes result in disability.”
The organisation says some people who experience post-COVID conditions commonly report digestive symptoms, such as diarrhoea and stomach pain.
Some general symptoms may include:
- Tiredness or fatigue that interferes with daily life
- Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental effort
- Fever
It states: “Most people with post-COVID conditions experienced symptoms days after their SARS CoV-2 infection when they knew they had COVID-19, but some people with post-COVID conditions did not notice when they first had an infection.”
The Mayo Clinic says COVID-19 symptoms can sometimes persist for months. It explains the virus can damage the lungs, heart and brain, which increases the risk of long-term health problems.
The organisation says coronavirus can make blood cells more likely to clump up and form clots.
It states: “While large clots can cause heart attacks and strokes, much of the heart damage caused by COVID-19 is believed to stem from very small clots that block tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in the heart muscle.
“Other parts of the body affected by blood clots include the lungs, legs, liver and kidneys.
“COVID-19 can also weaken blood vessels and cause them to leak, which contributes to potentially long-lasting problems with the liver and kidneys.”
The NHS says other common long COVID symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain or tightness
- Problems with memory and concentration (“brain fog”)
- Difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
- Heart palpitations
- Dizziness
- Pins and needles
- Joint pain
- Depression and anxiety
- Tinnitus, earaches
- Feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite
- A high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste
- Rashes
The health body says you should contact a GP if you’re worried about symptoms four weeks or more after you had COVID-19 or thought you may have had COVID-19.
The NHS says: “Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and the impact they’re having on your life.
“They may suggest some tests to find out more about your symptoms and rule out other things that could be causing them.”
The health body says if the symptoms are having a big impact on your life, you may be referred to a specialist rehabilitation service or a service that specialises in the specific symptoms you have.
It adds: “It is possible that your symptoms might not be caused by COVID. If your GP thinks that your symptoms are unrelated to COVID, and could be due to another condition, you may be offered other appropriate tests or referred to other specialist health professionals if necessary.”
There is also some suggestion that a vaccine can help reduce long Covid symptoms.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says: “In research published in October 2021, the Office for National Statistics used data from the UK Coronavirus Infection Survey to look at the association between COVID-19 vaccination and long Covid in people who already had it before the vaccine.”
The researchers found that the first vaccine was associated with an initial 13 percent decrease in the likelihood of self-reported long Covid.
The second dose was associated with a nine percent decrease in the likelihood of self-reported long Covid, relative to having received the first vaccination, and there was statistical evidence of a sustained improvement after this.
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