Chrissy Bernal has caught COVID-19 three times, most recently in October 2023.
My symptoms were always pretty mild, she says.
I literally have some level of anaphylaxis every single day, she says.
I had to inject myself with an Epi while everyone watched in horror on Zoom, she says.
Shes also experienced brain fog,high blood pressure, hyperglycemia, fatigue and gastrointestinal symptoms.
Ive never returned to my pre-COVID self, says Lorraine, 65.
Neurological changes have made her legs unsteady when she walks, requiring her to use balance poles.
None of these conditions were present before COVID, Lorraine says.
Researchers have begun to link long-term COVID with another recent phenomenon: our shrinkinglife expectancy.
The disease were forgetting
COVID doesnt seem that scary anymore.
For many of us, contracting COVID is like having a bad upper respiratory infection.
Older adults and those with preexisting conditions remain among the most at-risk populations for severe, acute COVID.
Of those who contracted COVID-19 within the past four years, 10 to 20 percent have experienced long COVID.
Having escaped long COVID previously doesnt mean you wont face it in the future.
Indeed, some research has suggested that catchingmultiple COVID-19 strainsputs you at increased risk.
We dont yet know the true impact of catching COVID.
Many chronic disease processes, such as cardiovascular disease, dementia and cancer, take years to develop.
And whether acute COVID-19 puts people at risk for some of these issues?
Time will tell, Hurt says.
Is long COVID boosting our death rate?
Long COVID patients had a significantly increased risk of severe health issues affecting the brain, lungs and heart.
But the risk lingers long after the symptoms abate.
One theory to explain COVIDs long-term effect on the heart and the body in general centers oninflammation.
There is no single agreed-upon mechanism thats causing the issues, Baratta says.
One factor that seems to matter:vaccination status.
Several studies show that vaccination can decrease the risk of developing long COVID, Patel says.
