As our understanding matures, it is conceivable that long COVID may also settle into more than one disease entity with unique disease definition.
HEALTHCARE BURDEN OF LONG COVID
Hidden here is the healthcare burden of long COVID, as it is a diagnosis of exclusion.
A formal diagnosis needs to comply with the working definition, and also rests upon the exclusion of other illnesses that can present the symptoms commonly reported in long COVID. For example, symptoms like chest pain and shortness of breath are also seen in severe heart diseases.
A sizeable load of investigations will essentially have to turn up negative so that diagnoses of long COVID may be made.
Management currently is essentially symptomatic. Cough mixtures and antihistamines relieve prolonged cough while light sedatives can help with poor sleep.
Brain fog and fatigue require a slightly more complicated strategy of plan, pace, practise and push – making a realistic plan for the day, pacing it to the person’s effort tolerance, practising that pace and slowly pushing up the pace over time. Perhaps, add patience to the four “P”s above too.