Respiratory difficulties, pain in the limbs, weakness and constant tiredness are persistent sequelae that the disease leaves in some people, according to a ten-month follow-up of patients.
More than two years have passed since the covid pandemic began and science is still struggling to understand this disease, which, being new, has many gray areas.
Why do some people quickly overcome the disease and others are left with persistent sequelae? Who is at risk? Or what are the best treatments to rehabilitate these patients? These are some of the questions that remain to be answered and where medical and health teams around the world direct their attention.
To help this understanding, the Clinical Hospital of the University of Antofagasta (HCUA) delivered the preliminary results of its Post-Covid Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program, which, in addition to expanding the offer of therapeutic support for those who contracted the disease, has a research line where 50 people who were hospitalized for covid participated, most of them in serious condition and with ventilatory support.
The kinesiologist Valeria Páez, director of the program, explained that the analysis provided several interesting results, for example, that those who consulted the most for help to overcome the consequences of covid were men, 69.2%, which, in her opinion, “gives an indication that, at least in Antofagasta, the most severe conditions are made by the male population”.
Another piece of information that the analysis reveals is that the average age of the patients treated for sequelae was 53 years and most of them had chronic underlying diseases, such as obesity (57.7%), hypertension (53.9%) and diabetes mellitus. (19.2%).
“Along with this, it was verified that 92.3% of the people who fell ill and were treated in the post-covid rehabilitation program had not been vaccinated at the time of infection and even today, despite suffering the consequences of the disease. , we have 11.5% who maintain their decision not to get vaccinated”, pointed out the director.
COVID LONG
However, one of the most important data obtained from the follow-up of the patients is that 20% presented a condition that has been described as “long covid” and which is defined as the persistence of certain symptoms once the infection stage has been overcome. .
In this regard, the director of the program explained that the long covid is a condition that occurs in an as yet undetermined number of people and that, in the patients treated at the HCUA, it basically manifested itself as constant fatigue, weakness, numbness or pain in the extremities. in addition to respiratory restrictions.
“Most of our patients have responded very well to treatment and have regained functionality, which is one of our most important goals, but we still have a group of people who maintain different symptoms, and this is mainly related to what has been called the long covid ”, affirmed the kinesiologist.
The professional said that these patients express, above all, a lot of tiredness and shortness of breath, which is associated with the damage that the disease causes in the lungs.
“In these people, pain or discomfort in the limbs (neuropathies) has also persisted, and even several of them, although they have regained functionality thanks to the treatment received, still require the use of a cane or other support,” he added.
Valeria Páez stressed that covid is a new disease and there is a lot of ignorance about its prognosis and long-term consequences, so it is important to collect this type of information.
“The first studies with patients in China and Italy are just being carried out, so there is little information on what causes long covid or how we can solve it. We have seen that there are people who return to a normal life and another percentage has sequelae that are more persistent and possibly require longer treatments, but we do not know that yet, ”he said.
PROGRAM RESULTS
In general terms, the Post Covid Comprehensive Rehabilitation Program has had very good results in terms of the recovery of patients who have undergone the treatment, which is carried out by professors from the University of Antofagasta from different disciplines, such as nutrition, psychology, kinesiology, occupational therapy and speech therapy.
The director said that the patients who underwent comprehensive rehabilitation for eight weeks showed improvements in activities such as walking, climbing stairs, bending over and others that were difficult at the beginning.
They have also reduced the sensation of body pain and have increased their muscle mass and become aware of risk factors, such as obesity.
Another result that the kinesiologist highlights has to do with mental health, where, with specialized support from psychology and speech therapy, the presence of negative emotions, such as discouragement, sadness, nervousness and fatigue, has been reduced. “An improvement in cognitive abilities (memory and attention) and a decrease in depressive and anxious symptoms have also been observed, which favors the rehabilitation process,” explained the kinesiologist.
Valeria Páez said that one of the conclusions that can be drawn from the program is that multi and interdisciplinary rehabilitation, which aims to optimize people’s functional capacity, mental health and nutritional status, is effective in recovering the majority of patients who they had moderate to severe covid.
“It is evident that covid is an inflammatory disease, you have to get out of your mind that it is only respiratory, because it generates complications at different levels and comprehensive rehabilitation is required, with a psychologist, speech therapist, nutritionist, occupational therapist, otherwise you will not be it can have the result that is sought from the point of view of the sequels”, he explained.
The preliminary results of the program’s line of research have already been presented at some congresses and once the study is finished they will be published to help better understand this disease.
Add Comment