Kuala Lumpur, June 16 — Most people recover from Covid-19 relatively intact, but some have long-term infections, including symptoms associated with long Covid or post-Covid-19 syndromes. Experience the impact.
And, according to infectious disease experts, many long Covid patients report a significant deterioration in their fitness levels.
Dr. James Ko Quie Choi, an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the International Medical University, said that while many factors affect each individual’s long Covid experience, they are generally inappropriate from the beginning. People who are suffering from cardiovascular or respiratory illness have said they tend to be more serious, compromise their fitness levels.
However, he added, even relatively healthy people with mild or asymptomatic Covid-19 have been reported to experience significant deterioration in fitness levels after Covid-19.
Recovery that depends on many factors
Commenting on a long Covid, Dr. Koh said that the effects of Covid-19 are not limited to the respiratory system, which is the primary target of SARS-CoV2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, but also to the cardiovascular system. He said it could extend to other systems, including. Dermatology, musculoskeletal and nervous system.
“Most people recover from Covid-19 relatively intact, but some experience long-term effects of infection, including symptoms associated with long-term Covid syndrome and chronic fatigue syndrome.
“According to medical data, people are said to have long Covid if symptoms persist for more than 12 weeks after recovery from Covid-19 infection. People have fatigue, persistent shortness of breath, chest pain and I experience a variety of symptoms, including tension. Some people have difficulty focusing and have other symptoms, “he told Bernama.
He finds that many of these symptoms are subjective and cannot be easily detected by routine examinations such as electrocardiograms and ultrasound, so he can identify reliable investigation markers that can help diagnose the effects of long Covids. I added that it was difficult.
“It is important to know that Covid-19 can cause hyperinflammatory reactions in the body, especially in severe infections. How these reactions restore the affected organs in the body. Little is known about whether it will affect or affect it. Some patients will recover completely, while others will appear to remain effective after weeks or months.
“The time it takes to fully recover (from a long Covid) depends on many factors, including the presence of other illnesses (contracted) prior to Covid-19,” he added.
exercise
Dr. Kor emphasized that a person’s current fitness level may determine the speed of recovery from Covid-19, avoiding regular exercise and a healthy diet, smoking and heavy drinking. He pointed out the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including.
For exercise after recovery from Covid-19, exercise is generally not recommended if symptoms still persist. If you have heart or lung problems, talk to your doctor before resuming exercise.
“There are important issues to consider before jumping in after Covid-19 and starting exercising. Our primary concern is the risk of myocarditis. This is for patients after Covid-19 infection. It’s a known complication that can be fatal. Chest pain, agitation, and shortness of breath are symptoms of myocarditis. It’s important to listen to your body, “he advises. Did.
Meanwhile, personal trainer and triathlete Shen Choo said exercise is one of the best ways to regain fitness levels after Covid-19.
Having recovered from a Covid-19 infection in March of this year, Shen’s advice for those embarking on a post-Covid-19 fitness journey is to start slowly and record their mood after each exercise session. This helps determine what works for them and how their bodies react.
“Start with a gentle exercise such as a yoga stretch. This is something you can do without using Covid-19. It improves blood circulation and makes you feel better. Stretching can be done by twisting your arms or Includes simple movements such as holding your knees in your chest.
“Every time I move a little (when I go down with Covid-19), I feel a little better. I have a lot of joint pain, so mobilizing improves blood circulation. Endorphins also start to work, which is part of the pain. It helps to get rid of it, “she added.
However, Covid-19 affected Shen’s stamina. Shen, a triathlete, is accustomed to running stretches over 10 kilometers, but after Covid-19 she realized she couldn’t run more than 3 kilometers.
“But with regular, gentle exercise, my body is slowly returning to normal,” she added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ko said, the path to a complete recovery of fitness levels after Covid-19 is highly individualized as it depends on the person’s existing fitness levels and the presence of other comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension. Said that it has been. Habits such as hypercholesterolemia, obesity, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
“Some guidelines recommend applying a gradual exercise load over several weeks to slowly restore fitness levels. Ideally, a trained person’s supervision. Must be done below or monitored by a doctor.
“Sure, people with few or no risk factors tend to regain their fitness levels faster, although some patients do not actually recover their pre-Covid-19 fitness levels, but time. It may be possible if there is.
“But most importantly, improving fitness levels after Covid-19 is still considered beneficial,” he said. — Bernama
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