Summary: Studies show that almost four million people are out of work or disabled because of covid. Even after recovery, many still live with long COVID. It causes fatigue, chronic pain, brain fog, and many other problems. Covid-19 has hit almost 100 million people and caused more than 1 million deaths. That also means more than 98% of people seem to have fully recovered. So recovery after covid needs special care, including chronic pain treatment.
By now, Covid-19 has hit most people in the US. Data shows it has already affected almost 100 million people, causing more than 1 million deaths. Of course, that also means a large number of people have recovered. But there is a problem. Not everyone has fully recovered. We are not talking about serious lung or heart problems after covid. Those are easy to spot and treat, though many need long treatment. But it seems millions more are living with long covid. These people look close to normal, and even their test results are close to normal. Yet they still feel unwell months after a full recovery. Their tests show few changes, so they cannot get medical help. They are often declared fully recovered. Still, these people cannot work or function normally. They keep having body aches, fatigue, poor focus, and other smaller health problems.
Doctors now call it a kind of long covid, because its symptoms last a long time. It is becoming one of the biggest threats today. Take a study by the Brookings Institution. It found that about four million people could not return to work after covid. These people can be seen as disabled. But they face a serious problem, because no one sees them as disabled. Often even the people close to them do not understand their pain and health problems.
What are the symptoms of long COVID, and why don’t tests find it?
It seems that even after a full recovery, people keep having chronic pain and many health problems weeks and months after the infection. Doctors find it hard to explain why. Symptoms may even go away and then come back. No two people with long covid have the same symptoms. Everyone has their own pattern. For some, it is mostly fatigue. For others, it may be headaches.
The CDC has listed some of the common signs of long covid:
- General symptoms – like fatigue, poor focus, and frequent fever. A person may feel tired even after a small effort.
- Cardio-respiratory symptoms – like shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, and a racing or pounding heart.
- Neurological issues – brain fog, headaches, sleep problems, tingling in hands and feet, mood problems like depression or anxiety, and changes in smell and taste.
- Digestive issues – like frequent diarrhea and stomach pains.
- Other symptoms – like joint pains, rashes, and hormonal changes.
As you can see, that list is long. How bad the symptoms are also varies. Not everyone with long covid has every symptom. Most will have a few.
As you can see, many of these signs are vague. That makes diagnosis hard. Tests like scans, x-rays, and blood work fail to show any big changes. So even doctors feel helpless. Doctors may prescribe drugs, but treatment often fails to help. So many people are forced to live with these problems for a long time, with real disability.
Frequently asked questions
Is long COVID a disability?
For many people, in practical terms, yes. People with long COVID often cannot work or function normally, even when their tests look close to normal. A Brookings Institution study estimated that about four million people could not return to work after COVID. That makes them, in effect, disabled. The problem is recognition. Because their results look normal, they are declared fully recovered. Even people close to them may not understand their pain.
Does long COVID show up on blood tests?
Usually not. Scans, X-rays and blood tests often fail to show any big change in people with long COVID. Yet they live with fatigue, body aches, brain fog and poor focus. That is the trap. A normal result gets read as a full recovery. So many of these patients never get the medical help they need.
How long does long COVID last?
Long COVID symptoms last for weeks and months after the infection, even after what looks like a full recovery. They do not always follow a straight line. Symptoms can go away and then come back. No two people share the same pattern. For some it is mostly fatigue. For others it is headaches, joint pain, sleep problems or tingling in the hands and feet.
What are the treatment options for long COVID?
Doctors may prescribe drugs, but on their own these often fail to help. That leaves many people living with symptoms and real disability for a long time. Body aches, headaches and joint pain are among the common long COVID problems. So recovery after COVID calls for special care that includes chronic pain treatment. That is the care the Padda Institute of Pain Management provides.
The Takeaway
Padda Institute of Pain Management brings expert chronic pain care with its well-known complex regional pain syndrome specialists. Book an appointment today to get overall pain relief.
Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
