Patients with mild symptoms of coronavirus who were not hospitalized had a longer recovery period.
This has been revealed by a survey of pulmonologists in the Netherlands, who have a wave of ex-coronavirus patients with fatigue and respiratory problems coming to their clinics, reports NOS.
According to Leon van den Toorn, chairman of the pulmonary association, “We are surprised by the high number of ex-COVID-19 patients who now come to us with complaints.” This group of patients was initially not hospitalized, but have since gone to their GPs as their health complaints continued. They initially seem to recover, only for their symptoms to reappear, sometimes in an even worse form.
Van den Toorn stated that “We see that almost all patients complain about persistent laboured breathing and poor exertion, while the abnormalities on the lung photos are quite minor. The immune system may be less cranked up during a ‘mild’ course of the disease so that fewer antibodies are released and the recovery is therefore slower.” Antibody tests in this category of patients are often negative.
Van den Toorn also emphasizes the fact that it seems that the lungs of these patients do not seem to have major damage. Further research will need to be conducted over the next six months in order to track the recovery of these patients.
Mental restlessness and fatigue
Beyond physical complaints, many patients with mild symptoms report mental restlessness, constant fatigue as well as memory problems. Marjolein Borsboom, a woman with mild symptoms, reported that she got diagnosed back in March, and has not fully recovered since. “I still suffer from my airways, I am very tired and still cannot work fully. After several hours of effort, I am extremely tired.”
Why coronavirus causes mental afflictions is currently unknown, and researchers are currently looking into the issue. You can read more about the general situation about the coronavirus in the Netherlands here.
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