Page 16 - Boca Club News - May '24

Page 16, Boca Club News
Medical Matters: Long COVID

By Richard Nagler, M.D., a member The cause of long-term COVID remains a mystery and there the symptoms experienced by the patients. It is imperative to
of Broken Sound Club and retired is no cure available for it. Symptoms are highly variable and rule out any other chronic medical conditions.
physician. After graduating from the encompass many forms. Fatigue is the most common symptom There is no specific treatment for long COVID. Antibiotics
University of Pennsylvania and New and can be debilitating. It is like chronic fatigue syndrome. are useless. Vaccines have reduced the incidence of long-
York University’s School of Medicine, Low-grade fever, shortness of breath, persistent cough and brain term COVID by 30%. Early treatment of acute COVID with
Dr. Nagler served his internship and fog with difficulty in concentration and memory are typical. convalescent plasma from recovered people—which contains
residency at Baltimore City Hospital Headaches, sleep apnea, light-headedness, loss of smell and antibodies against the virus—appears to lower the risk of long-
and Johns Hopkins. He followed that taste, peripheral neuropathy, depression and anxiety, stomach term COVID but is no longer used very often.
with a Fellowship in Gastroenterology pain and diarrhea, joint and muscle pain and a hive-like rash Supportive care including physio and occupational therapy
at Yale University School of Medicine, and was then Chief called urticaria are seen. is the best we can do for these people. It often involves
of Gastroenterology at Fitzimmons General Army Hospital Such people are more likely to develop multi-organ bringing in representatives of many medical disciplines to work
in Denver. He returned to the Yale Medical School for one effects that may include diabetes, blood clots, kidney disease, together to manage these cases, depending on symptoms and
year as an Assistant Professor of Medicine before opening cardiomyopathy, arrythmias (especially A fib), orthostatic organ involvement. Internal medicine, cardiology, neurology,
his own successful private practice in Internal Medicine hypotension, retinal problems with blurry and double vision, psychology, pulmonary, infectious disease and rheumatology
and Gastroenterology. During that time, he also served for and a variety of neurological conditions. For most people with specialists should be consulted.
ten years as Chief of Medicine at Huntington Hospital in long COVID these symptoms will recede over time. Continuing research on possibly discovering an anti-viral
Huntington, N.Y. There is no diagnostic test for long COVID. Extensive blood medication effective in treating long COVID will hopefully
Now that we have experienced the COVID pandemic for tests, chest x-rays and EKGs usually show normal results despite emerge in the future.
more than three years we are learning more about a serious
complication referred to as long COVID. Approximately 18
million adults have had long COVID, and it is estimated that
currently 8.8 million Americans have it. Five thousand deaths
have been attributed to it.
Long-term COVID is described as a condition where signs
and symptoms of acute COVID infection continue for weeks
or months. It is more common after a severe acute infection
with COVID, in people who are unvaccinated, in those with
preexisting medical conditions. Women are affected more than 561-989-0611
men. Interestingly, seniors are less likely to develop long-term
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