"Hi everyone, I'm Dr. Stephanie Camaglia Reznick. I'm a board certified internist and one of the medical directors for Virtual Primary Care here at Oscar.
I've been hearing a lot of questions about who could become a long hauler or what is post COVID-19 syndrome, and I'd like to answer some of those questions.
The first one is who could be affected by post COVID syndrome or become a long hauler. The answer is really anyone who's had:
A COVID-19 infection, whether you're young or old, healthy or not
A very mild or even asymptomatic infection or
A severe infection and were in the intensive care unit
Regardless if you've had the infection, you could potentially develop post COVID.
In fact, one recent study showed that 19% of those who had asymptomatic COVID-19 infections later went on to develop at least one symptom of post COVID syndrome.
What is post COVID syndrome?
So, that begs the question, what is post COVID syndrome?
Well, there's not one standardized definition currently, but essentially it's a group of symptoms that happen after a COVID-19 infection.
The symptoms can be varied. Most commonly we're seeing symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath or coughing, but it's not limited to that.
We're seeing some patients who are having dizziness. Others are having odd skin rashes, somewhat developing auto-immune conditions. It really can be almost anything and that's what makes it hard to diagnose.
Additionally, a lot of the symptoms are what we call nonspecific, meaning a lot of different things could cause them. For example, a lot of different things can cause people to feel fatigued and this makes it even harder to figure out if a patient has their symptoms as part of post COVID syndrome.
Is post COVID treatable?
The next question I often get is, well, why is it so hard to treat and diagnose?
Well, I already addressed the challenges about the symptoms and then the fact that you can develop it after having an asymptomatic infection also makes it challenging. We might not even realize you had the infection that would put you at risk for developing this.
Additionally, the medical community doesn't really understand why or how people develop post COVID syndrome. That makes it really hard to treat. We don't know how to intervene. That said, there are still treatments available, mostly focused on symptom control. For example, if someone's been feeling fatigue or weak undergoing, physical therapy or endurance training can be helpful.
All this said, medical communities around the world are studying very hard to figure this out. I expect there to be updated information regarding diagnosis and treatment coming out. Hopefully soon, this will be an area that is evolving quickly.
How Oscar can support you
So what should you do if you think you might be a long hauler or have post COVID syndrome?
You can also reach out to your primary care provider who can take the next steps in figuring out what's going on and how to best help you."
Updated July 22, 2021
*Virtual providers like Dr. Reznick are employed by Oscar Medical Group and are not employed by Oscar Health, Inc.
**In 2021, Oscar Virtual Primary Care will only be available to Oscar members on individual & family plans in Miami, FL, Fort Lauderdale, FL, Palm Beach, FL, Houston, TX, Dallas, TX, Austin, TX, Denver, CO, and New York, NY, pending regulatory approval. Oscar's Virtual Primary Care offerings are only available for members ages 18 and over. Prescriptions, visits and services may be limited per provider discretion. Virtual Primary Care is not available in CA. If you have an HSA-compatible high-deductible health plan or a Secure plan in any state, you won't be eligible for $0 follow-up services.
This content does not constitute medical advice and is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice, including diagnosis or treatment. Contact your physician with any questions you may have regarding COVID-19 or your personal health. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, dial 911 for immediate assistance.
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