What is Post-COVID?

 

After an infection with the SARS-CoV2 virus, new or persistent symptoms may occur. Long-COVID symptoms last longer than 4 weeks and post-COVID symptoms last longer than 12 weeks.

 

The complaints include, in particular, fatigue and rapid or pronounced exhaustion after light physical or mental exertion (fatigue, see Bell score), concentration problems and often also a reduction in performance (performance kink). Some affected persons also report new disturbances of the sense of taste and smell.

 

This does not only refer to the loss of these senses, but also to their insensations. In addition to the above-mentioned, there are many other or more unspecific symptoms such as headache, muscle and limb pain, sleep disturbances, depressive mood, dizziness, paralysis or tingling, palpitations, heart palpitations, diarrhoea and nausea.

 

Long- or post-COVID is also characterised by a wavelike course with phases in which the affected person feels better and phases in which the symptoms are particularly pronounced. There are also indications that there are different forms of long- and post-COVID. In some sufferers, fatigue seems to predominate, while in others physical (e.g. heart complaints, pain, olfactory and gustatory disturbances) complaints predominate.

 

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF POST-COVID SYNDROME?

 

It is not yet known exactly why some people develop a long or post-COVID syndrome after a COVID infection. There are several possible explanations:

 

 

1. organic causes:

 

• Persistent inflammation of individual organs by the virus itself.
• Post-VAC syndrome
• Cardiological autoimmune diseases, e.g. dilated cardiomyopathy
• Neurological autoimmune diseases e.g. myasthenia gravis, Guillan-Barré syndrome, multiple sclerosis
• Dermatological autoimmune diseases e.g. bullous pemphigoid, vulgar pemphigus
• Nephrological autoimmune diseases e.g. rapid progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN)
• Haematological autoimmune diseases e.g. haemophilia with inhibitors against factor VIII or IX, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
  
  
  

2. psychosocial causes:

 

• Physical consequences and psychological stress due to a severe course of illness with hospitalisation and/or intensive care.
• Lack of exercise or a decline in physical health after a prolonged period of bed rest and inactivity
• Aggravation of pre-existing illnesses
• Consequences of experiences with the disease and social lockdown

It is observed that mostly women aged 30-50 years are affected by long or post-covid-syndrome. According to statistical analyses, people with asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes and overweight are affected slightly more often. However, it also turns out that there are people who do not belong to any of these supposed risk groups.

 

HOW WE CAN HELP

 

Fortunately, it is often observed that the long or post-covid-syndrome is self-limiting after a few weeks and the affected persons find their way back to their old life with the usual energy and strength.

 

However, if this does not happen, it is recommended to first carry out self-training in combination with outpatient physiotherapy. In the next step, an outpatient or inpatient rehabilitation measure lasting several weeks with a focus on the main symptoms may become necessary.

If all of the above measures do not work, we can try to help.

In the Blood Health Centre, we offer different therapy methods, which are characterised in particular by the application of extracorporeal blood filtration using special filters with and without oxygenation. Heating of the blood can be applied to additionally promote blood circulation to the organs. The procedures are to be valued as alternative treatments.