A researcher studying so-called long-haul carriers Covid warned that persistent symptoms are a painful reality and can be a serious problem.
“We’ve followed about 60 different symptoms in this patient population,” said David Putrino, director of rehabilitation innovation at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital. “We really just need to focus on helping these patients and spreading the awareness that this is, in fact, a really serious problem associated with Covid.”
A new study from Northwestern University shows that 85% of long-haul carriers (covid patients who have recovered from much of the disease’s worst, but continue to experience long-term symptoms) experienced four or more neurological symptoms. These symptoms include brain fog, headaches, numbness or tingling, loss of taste and smell, and muscle aches.
Northwestern scientists call it the first study of its kind. He tracked 100 of them Covid patients, mostly women with a mean age of 43 years.
Putrino told CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith” that Covid’s long prevalence changes the way doctors treat patients, even for routine complaints.
“I think before Covid, there were a lot of people who had nonspecific symptoms and were concerned that they were being treated with formula medications, instead of being very patient and symptom-focused in treatment approaches,” Putrino said. “One of the things doctors have to do now, as we see Covid’s long hauling activity increase, is listen to what patients tell them.”