SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah COVID-19 “long-haul carriers” find validation in a new study on long-term COVID-19 symptoms.
The research, conducted through online surveys, studied symptoms in nearly 4,000 patients from 56 countries.
The researchers found more than 200 prevalent symptoms among participants from 10 body organic systems.
Jess Monsen, of Utah, did not participate in the study, but hopes the findings will help doctors and others take their symptoms more seriously.
“I still have family members who don’t validate it and it’s a big struggle,” he said. “It hurts.”
Monsen had positive experiences with professionals at Utah’s VA Hospital, but many other long-haul carriers KSL has spoken to have described doctors diagnosing their anxiety symptoms or eliminating them as non-serious.
“I’ve seen a lot of people fighting and crying because they have a lot of professionals and providers who don’t believe them,” Monsen said.
This new study tracked participants ’symptoms for seven months. After six months, participants most frequently experienced fatigue (77.7%), post-exertion discomfort (72.2%), and cognitive dysfunction (55.4%).
Other common symptoms were brain fog and memory impairment, headaches, changes in emotion and mood, high body temperature, heart palpitations, shortness of breath and diarrhea.
“Overall, these findings suggest that the morbidity of COVID-19 disease has been underestimated. Patients experience multisystem symptoms for more than seven months, which has a significant impact on patients’ lives and livelihoods.” , the researchers said.
Monsen has been suffering from post-COVID symptoms since July. Some days are better than others.
“It’s like a switch,” he said. “I’ll have a good day and the next day it’ll be like a switch and I can’t do anything.”
The study found that nearly half (45.2%) of participants were unable to return to full-time work due to persistent symptoms. 22.3% could not work at all.
Monsen has a job that offers flexible hours and breaks when needed. She is grateful to have been able to return to work and care for her family, but she knows she can no longer be as independent as before.
She wants others to see her situation and consider it when making daily decisions.
“When they talk about losing independence with having to wear a mask, I say to myself,‘ You have no idea of the loss of independence that some of us have experienced with these debilitating long-term symptoms of COVID, ’” Monsen said.
In June 2020, a long-term support group for Utahns was created. It has since grown to more than 1,300 members.
If you have long-term symptoms of COVID-19, you can find the Utah COVID-19 Long-haulers Facebook page here.