Covid-19: ‘Long Hauler’ Study Shows Covid Can Kill Months After Infection

One of the largest studies of Covid-19 “long haulers” has proved what many doctors suspected: Not only are many patients suffering a raft of health problems six months after infection, they’re also at significantly greater risk of dying.

Survivors had a 59% increased risk of dying within six months after contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus, researchers reported Thursday in the journal Nature. The excess mortality translates into about 8 extra deaths per 1,000 patients -- worsening the coronavirus pandemic’s hidden toll amid growing recognition that many patients require readmission, and some die, weeks after the viral infection abates.

“When we are looking at the acute phase, we’re only pretty much looking at the tip of the iceberg,” said Ziyad Al-Aly, chief of the research and development service at the St. Louis VA Medical Center in Missouri, who led the study. “We’re starting to see a little bit beneath that iceberg, and it’s really alarming.”

Al-Aly and his colleagues documented the cascade of debilitating effects that plague survivors months after diagnosis, from blood clots, stroke, diabetes and breathing difficulties to heart, liver and kidney damage, depression, anxiety and memory loss. They also found the risk of complications was far higher than with the flu.

Globally, more than 143 million people have tested positive for Covid-19, and more than 3 million have died from the disease. Some studies indicate about 10% of patients may become so-called long haulers.

Al-Aly and colleagues used the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs national health-care databases -- the largest nationally integrated health-care delivery system in the U.S. -- to examine diagnoses, medication use and laboratory test results from 73,435 non-hospitalized and 13,654 hospitalized patients up to six months after they had recovered from an acute case of Covid-19.

Covid survivors were more likely to require assistance for additional medical problems than almost 5 million users of the Veterans Health Administration system who didn’t have Covid-19 and weren’t hospitalized. These included:

- respiratory conditions
- nervous system disorders
- mental health problems
- metabolic and cardiovascular disorders
- malaise
- fatigue
- musculo-skeletal pain
- anemia

Individuals experiencing long-term symptoms also showed an increased use of various medications, including antidepressants and drugs to treat anxiety and pain.

“We worry about potential spikes in suicide or potential spikes in overdose of opioids,” Al-Aly said in a Zoom interview.

Covid-19 patients who survived hospitalization were found to have a 51% increased risk of dying compared with 13,997 influenza patients who also had been hospitalized.

Al-Aly, who is also an assistant professor of medicine at the Washington University School of Medicine, said he hoped the research would provide a roadmap to inform health-system planning and care strategies to mitigate chronic ill health among Covid-19 survivors, especially in the U.S.

“Let’s not act surprised two years down the road, when people start committing suicide,” he said. “We did not do very well preparing and dealing with Covid. Let’s not make that mistake a second time.”

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[sinandiwan]

Life and Death is solely in the hands of Almighty.. Stop fear mongering.. I’m a Covid survivor from Mumbai 🇮🇳 contracted it mid March took me 15 days to come back from it. I say eat proper diet, keep urself hydrated and have ur vitamins, but most importantly it’s the mindset that beats the disease not meds.. Don’t panic folks, it’s a phase, hold on.. things will be better InshaAllah

[e-spy]

got it last april. nine months later, got it again (though less severe). I had bad headaches everyday, my liver, kidneys, lungs pissed off. The eyesight, tiredness and general lack of joy were the biggest bits. Started taking vitamin d3 daily, and at least the headaches went away. But the rest? they still linger, and I feel like my life will be shortened.

[rhiannadodd]

Stop blaming pain meds not giving them to patients who need to be on them I'm a terminal patient denied repeatedly its torture

[marilynthaxton]

After Covid-19 I have so much joint pain, tingling in my hands, back many different things going on I feel like a total wreck... I don't think I'll ever be the same person again.🥺

[vaughancannon]

I had covid 19 and was sick for 8 weeks. I am 54 male height six foot 6. I weigh 230 . I recovered or so I thought . I have extreme anxiety and depression since I “recovered “. It’s scary feeling this way . I have read people who have had covid many are experiencing brain mental disorders . I tell you i prey and hope no one feels the way I do. It’s a dark place and really do believe it was the virus that changed something inside my brain

[ZMacZ]

I just wanted to add to this topic:
There's two functions in the Sars-Cov-2 virus, the first is about attaching itself,
and the second is about penetrating the cell (which by itself has two step,
outside cells penetration, and nucleus membrane penetration, but these are irrelevant for this addition)
It's the attachment to other cells, prior to penetration, that may be the cause of the 'long haulers'.
There's another mechanism, that may help aid this, but that's not the one I want to talk about now.
The thing is, when Sars-Cov-2 cells attach themselves to another cell, through whichever means,
they make the cell upon which they attach also target for the immune system.
The same system that disposes of the hijacked cells, will target anything having SC-2's attached.
(Sars-Cov-2's), even when that cell may never have been penetrated.
The immune system isn't capable of telling whether or not the cell has been penetrated, it just
knows there's SC2's on the lining, and then assumes it must be removed, for all intent and purpose.
Under normal circumstances myelin may not be attachable or even penetrable by the SC2's,
either through S-spike incompatibility, or by E or N protein incompatibility to actually allow entry
into the myelin, and yet, if the myelin gets stripped by immune system removal,
the underlying nerve cells may actually be attachable.
Even if it isn't directly compatible with the S-spike, glue like substances within the blood, like cholestrol,
may yet be a source of attachment for the SC2's, and thus mark the whole cell for removal.
This then may prompt many nerve conditions associated with 'long haulers'.
Even when under regular circumstances, the S-spikes may be incompatible, it takes but one succesful
attachment by an SC2, to cause removal of the whole cell. Either in one single step,
or by more than one step if the single SC2 gets removed, and during this removal, the underlying cell
receives damage, in which the damage to that cell causes death to that cell,
and thus still gets removed as a whole.
S-spike compatibility is not the whole story behind succeful penetration by the SC2's.
Random, non compatible attachments may happen with any substance that can act as a glue.
Whether or not the cell can then be penetrated depends on the E and/or N proteins that
are then compatible or not, interacting with the cell sucesfully..

In fact if you examine the steps:
1) Succesful attachment to cell, either by S-spike, or 'glue'
2) Succesful penetration of the cell, compatibility with either E and/or N protein required.
3) Succesful passing through the nucleus membrane, dependant on the RNA of the SC2 variant.

Note: the 'glue' can mean any substance that can keep an S2 cell in it's place,
without the usual required S-spike compatibility.

[jorge]

Damm im only 22 and i have this chest pains going on some days worst than others came here to find some answers but i guess there ppl who are worst god bless all us.

[erikw]

All these things depression, anxiety, suicides, diabetes are caused from these lockdowns and people losing there jobs.

[amiaalfonso]

Yes it has been a month I still have the chest pressure and fatigue weakness, joint pain.

[sleepycalico]

Scary stuff. I'm wondering what age group is most at risk of dying 6 months out. Will the younger people still be most likely to weather the consequences of having had the virus? Best wishes to everyone who has had COVID.

[Cokie]

Got covid and it was a scary illness. No fever at all but sick as hell. Post covid my high blood pressure of 20 years was GONE but sadly, my short term memory was largely gone as well. Now, i live my life in fear of forgetting something (like the parking brake on my car) which results in a stupid and costly mistake. If i put something down in a random place, it might be days before i find it. Uggggh.

[fromthesidelines]

just be real an post actual numbers of ppl who taken the vaccine an still died

[PegsFlamingoville]

Rude awakening even for an active sponge for information.

[MotionScreenFa]

It's there anything covaids cant do? Jajaja

[avail.]

3-6 months or longer, the effects of these injections really show