Long COVID Impacts; Three in Four County Residents Experience Limitations in Daily Activities

 Although fewer Los Angeles County residents are getting severely ill from COVID-19, many still experience its lingering effects with conditions, such as fatigue, chronic coughing, or brain fog, that may last for days, months or even years after initial infection.

Two separate studies confirm that a significant percentage of people have experienced COVID-19 symptoms for four weeks or more after the initial phase of infection, a condition commonly known as long COVID.

Symptoms of long COVID can include extreme tiredness, a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental exertion, difficulty breathing, chest pain, sleep problems, changes in taste and smell, depression and brain fog, a condition characterized by confusion, forgetfulness and lack of clarity or focus.

In a study conducted by the University of Southern California or USC pandemic research center in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health or Public Health, more than half of the residents who said they had tested positive for COVID-19 at some point during the pandemic also reported having symptoms consistent with long COVID.

Three out of four people who reported symptoms lasting four weeks or more also reported that long COVID symptoms had limited them in going about their daily activities, such as going to work or school, socializing with loved ones or taking care of their personal needs. Of those, 25% reported significant limitations.

The findings from this study closely resembled the results of a similar long COVID study, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC that surveyed California residents.

While healthy individuals, and those who only experienced mild COVID-19 illness can develop long COVID, the CDC identifies certain individuals at higher risk: people who had a more severe COVID-19 illness, especially if they were hospitalized or needed intensive care; people with underlying health conditions prior to getting infected; people who did not get a COVID-19 vaccine; and children who experience multisystem inflammatory syndrome  or MIS-C during or after COVID-19 illness.

The best way to prevent long COVID is to avoid getting infected or reinfected. The bivalent booster has been shown to reduce the likelihood of a severe infection, in turn potentially lowering the risk of developing long COVID.

Individuals with ongoing COVID-19 symptoms or severe limitations in daily activities extending more than four weeks after a COVID-19 infection, should contact their health care provider or a clinic specializing in Long-COVID recovery and rehabilitation.

The Public Health Call Center is open seven days a week, between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. at 1-833-540-0473. It has well-trained staff who can answer questions about long COVID and provide a list of local clinics specializing in long COVID rehabilitation.

Los Angeles County remains in the CDC designated Low Community Level with a seven-day case rate of 69 new cases per 100,000 people, down slightly from the week prior. The seven-day total for new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 people is seven,

Details: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov