In late 2019, the world faced a global pandemic on a scale that hadn’t been seen for 100 years—since 1918-1919 with the Spanish flu. COVID-19 was an infectious disease that disrupted daily life on a global scale and drastically changed the way we live and interact today.
COVID-19 started in Wuhan, China, but quickly spread to almost every country on the globe. After 4 years, it has infected over 700 million people, causing 7 million deaths. The numbers are still on the rise due to COVID-19 mutating over time, and the lasting impacts it causes.
Along with the everlasting changes the global pandemic has had on almost all industries—from healthcare to entertainment and technology, it also has a long-term impact on those who survive.
The pandemic itself and how it impacted daily life with social distancing, isolation, and lockdowns had a severe impact on people’s mental health. Mental illness and symptoms like anxiety and depression have been on the rise since 2019, significantly increasing the need for mental health experts, like those who have studied a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling online.
Millions of people around the world who have survived COVID have persistent symptoms that extend far beyond their initial infection and sickness. This is now being referred to as ‘Long COVID’, and it is an alarming health issue.
Long COVID is becoming an issue for both the public and health organizations, as they are struggling to understand its cause, scale, and how to manage it.
In this article, we’ll be focusing on a new study from Arizona that has shed some light on long COVID. The study explores the condition, the definition, what causes it, clinical management, prevention, and current services offered by healthcare systems.
What is Long COVID?
Long COVID, also referred to as Post-COVID-19 condition, is defined by the World Health Organization as the continuation or development of new symptoms 3 months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, with these symptoms lasting at least 2 months or more with no other explanation.
Post-COVID-19 can affect anyone who has been exposed to SARS-CoV-2, regardless of age or the severity of the original infection. People who never experienced COVID-19 symptoms when infected can still develop long COVID.
Studies show that around 10-20% of the people who were infected by COVID-19 go on to have symptoms that would classify as long COVID.
Symptoms of Post-COVID-19
When it comes to recovering from COVID-19 and post-COVID-19, everyone’s experience and symptoms may differ. Common symptoms may include:
Fatigue
Coughs
Breathlessness
Joint or muscle pain
Chest pain and/or difficulty breathing
Change or loss in taste or smell
Anxiety and/or low mood
Less common symptoms that people may experience as part of Post-COVID-19 include:
Headaches
Low-grade fevers
Memory issues
Brain fog
Confusion
Muscle pain and weakness
Rashes
Depression
Stomach and digestion problems
Preventing long COVID
In the new study posted by Arizona, the research outlines that long COVID has no definitive cure, so prevention is crucial. The paper begins to describe the best ways to prevent long COVID is by preventing infection of COVID-19 through well-established public health measures.
These measures include paying attention to indoor air quality, wearing well-fitting, high-filtration masks when appropriate, avoiding contact with infectious individuals, and being mindful of social distancing in group environments.
The Arizona study also found that vaccination is crucial when it comes to preventing long COVID. A meta-analysis of primary studies that involved 620,211 participants found that two doses of the vaccine lower the risk of long COVID by 36.9%. Three doses reduce the risk by 68.7%.
The impact of long COVID
The lasting impacts of long COVID-19 are still being studied, as it has only been four years since the initial outbreak of the disease.
Common risk factors for long COVID are just starting to be known. For instance, most research findings report that it is typically diagnosed more often in females of any age than in males.
Current research has found that long COVID can cause the following diseases, or make them worse. These include:
Migraines
Lung disease
Autoimmune diseases
Chronic kidney disease
Heart disease
Mood disorders
Anxiety
Stroke
The impact COVID-19 had on the healthcare industry can’t be understated. It was devastating, to say the least, and it changed healthcare on a global scale. It has also led to unforeseen outcomes with shortages of health professionals, burnout, and an increase in healthcare use and costs.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant, negative impact on the healthcare workforce, particularly in nursing. Approximately 100,000 nurses left the workforce during the pandemic, and by 2027, it is estimated that 900,000 more plan to leave.
The healthcare system in the United States and most countries around the world is facing a shortage of workers. This is also having a devastating impact on the people with long COVID who are seeking help.
There is simply an insufficient amount of people in the healthcare industry, leaving clinics and hospitals understaffed and ill-equipped for care. As the Arizona study states, this issue is also exacerbated by some health professionals being unaware of the condition, and not enough information being known about long COVID to provide adequate care.
Mental health & long COVID
There has been a serious link found between long COVID and mental health conditions, especially for individuals who have been suffering from the symptoms for months. Long COVID can have a profound psychological and emotional impact.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued an advisory warning regarding long COVID and how it can have “devastating effects on the mental health of those who experience it, as well as their families”.
Long COVID is a chronic condition, that can cause not only debilitating physical symptoms, but it can also impact the individual’s circumstances. The illness itself, social isolation, financial insecurity, and caregiver burnout can all contribute to an individual developing mental health conditions due to the ongoing symptoms.
Dr. Jordan Anderson, a neuropsychiatrist and assistant professor at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland states that depression is the most prominent symptom they see in long COVID patients.
Dr. Anderson also discusses how diagnosing depression and mental health illnesses in someone who suffers from long COVID also requires a more nuanced approach. This is because the symptoms of depression are also associated with long COVID.
