COVID-19 presents an array of health challenges that are serious, if not imminently fatal. The disease occasionally sends people’s immune system into a frenzy, wreaking havoc on their internal organs. Several studies of asymptomatic patients revealed that
more than half of them had lung abnormalities. A March study published in the
Journal of the American Heart Association found that 7 to 20 percent of sick patients showed heart damage associated with COVID-19.
As my colleague Ed Yong explained, many COVID-19 patients experience protracted illness. These “
long-haulers” suffer from a diabolical grab bag of symptoms, including chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, unrelenting fevers, gastrointestinal problems, lost sense of smell, hallucinations, short-term-memory loss, bulging veins, bruising, gynecological problems, and an erratic heartbeat. And according to the neuroscientist David Putrino, chronic patients are typically young (the average age in his survey is 44), female, and formerly healthy.
We don’t know how many long-haulers are out there. But by combining the conclusion of several well-regarded studies, we can arrive at a decent estimate.
For men in their 30s, like me, about 1.2 percent of COVID-19 infections result in hospitalization, according to
a July study published in Science. Once the disease has progressed to this point, the risk of chronic illness soars. Research from
Italy found that roughly nine in 10 hospitalized patients said they still had symptoms after two months. A
British study reported a similar risk of long-term illness.
www.theatlantic.com
