The long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, commonly known as long-term COVID, are the subject of more than 1,650 papers published in the National Library of Medicine since 2020. When asked about long-term COVID, most doctors will offer their experience and / or research with a warning – more research is needed to know for sure. “We are really just starting to solve this whole issue,” said Dr. Matthew Sims, director of infectious disease research at Beaumont Health. “It’s complicated, it’s confusing. To be honest, I think we will find out that long-term COVID is the same problem we see with other things and all the research that will end up being done for long-term COVID, because it is such a big issue, can help other diseases like fibromyalgia or the chronic fatigue syndrome, which is really hard to understand right now. We do not know.” However, researchers have made some progress. Below are some frequently asked questions and answers related to long COVID. What is the long COVID? The typical definition of long-term COVID is the long-term symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 that can occur weeks, months or even years after the primary infection. As for specific symptoms that remain, they vary. A recent study by the Center for Health and Transformation Research (CHRT) at the University of Michigan found that breathing problems were the most common persistent symptom, followed by loss or distorted sense of smell or taste and prolonged anxiety or depression, depression . Other common symptoms were nervous system symptoms, neurological problems, diabetes, heart problems, kidney damage and fatigue. The Cover Michigan Survey is a telephone and online public opinion poll that includes a random sample of Michigan adults. The results were analyzed by CHRT staff, who said many of their findings were supported by national data and additional research. “I like to think this is kind of the tip of the iceberg with the long COVID-19, because everything about this virus and this pandemic and this disease is so new and every day we are still learning more,” he said. Melissa Riba, Director of Research and Evaluation at CHRT. In July 2021, long-term COVID became disabled under the Americans with Disabilities Act. An individualized assessment is needed to determine if the COVID individual’s long-term condition significantly limits it. How common is it? The Cover Michigan Survey found that more than one in three Michigan residents diagnosed with COVID-19 identified themselves as distant carriers of COVID-19. While the sample size was limited – 138 people with COVID, 48 of whom reported long-term COVID – matched or followed the trends found in other studies. Globally, the University of Michigan School of Public Health analyzed 50 studies and more than 1.6 million people and found that the prevalence of long-term COVID is about 43%. “Overall, if you look at most of the literature, it generally falls between 25% and 43%, with most sources falling into a narrower range of about 30% and 35%,” said Jonathan Chao. , project manager at CHRT. It is not yet clear which demographics are more or less sensitive to long-term COVID, although researchers are gaining clarity on this issue. “The risk factors for the long-term onset of COVID are somewhat similar to those of people at increased risk for serious illness,” said Dr Liam Sullivan, an infectious disease specialist at Spectrum Health. “That said, there are many people who have had mild cases of COVID who have also had problems with long-term COVID. So this has not been fully demarcated yet. “ A Swedish study of more than 205,000 patients with COVID found that 32% of those admitted to the ICU had a long history of COVID-19. This compares with 6% of those who are hospitalized but not in the intensive care unit and 1% of outpatients. Other groups that have reported disproportionate levels of long-term COVID are women, people aged 40 to 54, and people with pre-existing conditions, according to a 2021 study conducted in California and published by the CDC. In Michigan, the CHRT found that women were four times more likely to report long-term COVID and diabetics were twice as likely as their counterparts. Does the vaccine offer protection against long-term COVID? A study published last month in Nature Medicine used the 2021 Veterans Affairs Health Records to assess the potential protection against vaccine-induced long-term COVID. The St. Louis, Missouri study found that vaccination against COVID reduced the risk of long-term COVID by about 15%. It was one of the, if not the biggest, studies to date. The researchers looked at records of 34,000 people vaccinated with unprecedented infections, 113,000 non-vaccinated people with COVID and more than 13 million people without COVID. The study did not reveal any difference in the specific prolonged symptoms or in the severity of the symptoms. Dr. Sullivan said you need to be careful about projecting these results into the general population, however, when the study population was middle-aged veterans in their 60s with underlying risk factors. “The vaccine does not eliminate the risk of long-term COVID,” he said. “You are still at risk for long-term COVID. “What is probably becoming clearer is that the risk is probably lower and that people are not getting such severe long-term COVID, but this question still needs to be answered more fully.” Sullivan said he expects the results of a broader study to be conducted by the CDC and some partner universities to better identify and better understand the extent of long-term COVID. What are the financial implications of long-term COVID? The latest Michigan Cover Survey found that long-distance carriers are more likely to be in a worse financial position than they were a year ago, compared to those who recovered from COVID and those who were never infected. Because travelers may not be able to function with their pre-COVID ability, they are more likely to take longer medical leave, work part-time, reduce their pay or quit their job, researchers have found. A national survey of more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients found that 44% of workers who experienced long-term COVID-19 reduced their weekly working hours. The majority of respondents said they had to take medical leave because of the long-term symptoms of COVID. Researchers analyzing the long-term COVID data in Michigan said there was a need for further study on the impact of state-wide efforts to assist long-distance travelers. Recommend:

Further research to understand the health and economic impact of long-term COVID in Michigan, as well as funding programs. Develop funding programs, policies and approaches to strengthen existing long-distance clinical care resources; Organizing cross-sectoral collaborations to address the effects of long-term COVID throughout the state.

Publishing the results of its research, CHRT researchers said they hope to raise awareness of lawmakers and business leaders about the prevalence of long-distance transport, as well as people who suffer and feel alone with their long-term symptoms. “We want to raise the alarm, raise a flag to say ‘hello, this is potentially and could be a very big deal for policymakers, for the state, for the economy, for the healthcare system and we have to “Let’s be prepared,” Riba said. If you have any questions about COVID-19 that you would like answered, please submit them [email protected] will be considered for future MLive reports. Read more at MLive: 11 counties in the UP in northern Michigan have high COVID-19 levels. The CDC says it is a cover COVID treatments are becoming more common: Michigan COVID data for Thursday, June 16 FDA advisers recommend vaccinating children under 5 years of age against COVID Novavax’s most traditional vaccine for COVID could fight hesitation, says doctor