ABSTRACT
As COVID-19 continues to spread, with the United States surpassing 29 million cases, health care workers are beginning to see patients who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2 return seeking treatment for its longer-term physical and mental effects. The term long-haulers is used to identify patients who have not fully recovered from the illness after weeks or months. Although the acute symptoms of COVID-19 have been widely described, the longer-term effects are less well known because of the relatively short history of the pandemic. Symptoms may be due to persistent chronic inflammation (eg, fatigue), sequelae of organ damage (eg, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic kidney disease), and hospitalization and social isolation (eg, muscle wasting, malnutrition). Health care providers are instrumental in developing a comprehensive plan for identifying and managing post-COVID-19 complications. This article addresses the possible etiology of postviral syndromes and describes reported symptoms and suggested management of post-COVID syndrome.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/complications , Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/etiology , Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/nursing , Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic/physiopathology , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Subacute Care/standards , Survivors/psychology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Curriculum , Education, Medical, Continuing , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , United StatesABSTRACT
When caring for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), clinicians have noticed some unusual clinical presentations not observed before, such as profound hypoxia and severe hypotension. Scientists are probing the evidence to explain these issues and many other unanswered questions. Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated with coronavirus 2 presents an unchartered acute and critical care dilemma. Some of the theories and proposed interventions that will improve outcomes for these critically ill patients are explored in this article. Various testing procedures for COVID-19 are described so valid results can be obtained. Clinical presentations are discussed but continue to evolve as the pandemic ravages our society. The psychological impact of this devastation is also addressed from multiple perspectives. The health care provider is faced with an unprecedented, harrowing situation that has become an internal war that also must be confronted. Professional dedication has provided a formidable response to this destructive virus.