The American journal of medicine
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Long COVID is a syndrome persisting 12+ weeks after COVID-19 infection, impacting life and work ability. Autonomic nervous system imbalance has been hypothesized as the cause. This study aims to investigate cardiovascular autonomic function in health care workers (HCWs) with Long COVID and the effectiveness of slow-paced breathing (SPB) on autonomic modulation. ⋯ Resting vascular modulation was reduced in Long COVID, while during SPB, baroreflex sensitivity effectively improved. Long-term studies are needed to evaluate whether multiple sessions of breathing exercises can restore basal vascular reactivity and reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients.
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Long-term Health-related Quality of Life in Working-age COVID-19 Survivors: A Cross-sectional Study.
Most working-age (18-64) adults have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and some may have developed post-COVID-19 condition (PCC). However, long-term health-related quality of life (HRQOL) following infection remains uncharacterized. ⋯ In working-age adults who have survived >2 years following COVID-19, HRQOL is high among those who never had PCC or have recovered from PCC. However, individuals with ongoing symptoms have lower HRQOL and are more likely to have functional deficits. These findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted healthcare interventions to improve HRQOL in adults with long-term PCC.
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The diagnosis and treatment of long COVID patients is challenging. Our aim is to share lessons learned using a multidisciplinary approach within the Veterans Affairs system. ⋯ We conducted an extensive work-up to evaluate the presence of end-organ damage, ongoing inflammation, and dysautonomia. Our treatments are based on the prior experience that the Veterans Affairs system has on chronic fatigue syndrome and gulf war illness.