BOISE, Idaho — Recovered COVID-19 patients are at an increased risk for heart and lung complications after infection, according to a recent study by peer-reviewed medical journal Nature Medicine.
St. Luke's COVID recovery clinic has treated 150 patients facing prolonged COVID-19 symptoms and complications. The results for many of them align with the findings from the national study, according to St. Luke’s System Medical Director Dr. Laura McGeorge.
McGeorge reports patients with irregularly fast heart rates, irregular heart rhythm, strokes, and blood clotting.
"Our COVID recovery clinic is really just the tip of the iceberg," McGeorge said. "By the time they make it to our clinic, they often also have other manifestations of long COVID, which includes depression, anxiety, increased shortness of breath, inability to exercise."
Prolonged symptoms have been dubbed 'long-COVID' by the medical community; however, this is not a new outcome for virial infections, according to McGeorge.
After fighting off a severe viral infection - like a bad flu - it is not uncommon to experience lingering symptoms, McGeorge said. It is often called 'chronic fatigue syndrome.' However, COVID patients are experiencing these problems at a much higher rate, according to McGeorge.
The prolonged health problems attributed to recovered COVID patients are more severe than other viral infections. McGeorge adds the potential long-term COVID-19 complications are different too.
"The clotting - we have not historically seen that increased risk of clotting with other viruses," McGeorge said. "When you clot off blood vessels, you can have all sorts of manifestations form that."
Blood clots can lead to strokes or partial paralysis from the spinal cord not getting enough blood flow.
The Nature Medicine study shows the more severe a patient's COVID infection, the more susceptible they are to heart complications down the road. St. Luke's COVID recovery clinic urges caution, because they are seeing patients who fought off mild infections too.
"It's becoming increasingly clear this virus in some version will be here with us," McGeorge said. "I think the best thing is to postpone getting it by best that you can."
At KTVB, we’re focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: www.ktvb.com/coronavirus.
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