Why are some patients who had mild symptoms and have recovered now suffering from other serious concerns?
The story so far: Surviving COVID-19 has been only part of the triumph for some patients. While doctors were well aware of the impact of lasting viral infections, the first few months of the pandemic were devoted to preventing transmission and figuring out how to take care of those in hospitals, and not much attention was paid to the after-effects. But over eight months into the epidemic, these can no longer be ignored. Though SARS-CoV-2 is essentially a virus that hits the lungs, in a smaller subset, it also seems to have an impact on the lungs, heart and brain, increasing the risk of long-term health issues, and life-threatening complications.
What kinds of complications may occur?
Gregory Poland, of the Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, U.S., says: “This is a disease…