While new cases of COVID-19 continue to occur in every part of the United States, infection and mortality rates have fallen far enough for the pandemic to be considered “over” by most public health standards. That doesn’t mean patients and providers should view SARS-CoV-2 as a minor inconvenience, however. According to an article published online by Patient Care, some 36 million Americans have or have had long COVID (for purposes of that article, anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID who continued to have symptoms for at least 3 months). That equates to more than a quarter (28.8%) of Americans diagnosed with COVID. A piece published by Public Forum Infectious Diseases reveals that the following seven symptoms in particular should be red flags for healthcare providers:
- Heart palpitations
- Hair loss
- Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Dyspnea
- Joint pain
- Obesity in the postinfectious period