background
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), 2,594,764 COVID-19 infections have been detected in Germany since the start of the corona pandemic. Around 2,383,600 patients are considered recovered (as of March 17, 2021).[1] However, many of them still do not feel healthy: According to a press release by the German Society for Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine (DGP), an estimated 10 percent of all COVID-19 patients struggle with long-term consequences.[2] It is still unclear how many corona patients are actually affected by the so-called post-COVID syndrome or long-COVID. So far there are no standardized diagnostic features and treatment criteria for the symptoms. A new S1 guideline should now help to enable symptom-oriented diagnosis and therapy adapted to it. The guideline registered with the Working Group of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF) is expected at the end of April 2021.[2]
Symptoms
The list of sequelae that can be traced back to a COVID-19 infection is long. Those affected mainly suffer from respiratory and cardiovascular problems, feel extremely exhausted, inefficient and constantly tired. This variety of symptoms does not make it easy for the treating physicians to assign a clearly defined clinical picture. In addition, long COVID complaints are possible regardless of the severity of an infection with SARS-CoV-2; they can occur after mild COVID-19 symptoms as well as after a critical course of the disease.
The tendency to regression after 60 or 100 days
“Studies from China [3] from the first wave show that more than 75 percent of over 1,700 patients still have at least one symptom after six months, ”reports Professor Dr. Andreas Rembert Koczulla, pulmonologist and lead coordinator of the guideline. “In the case of inpatients, changes in the lungs often occur. The lung tissue is then changed in such a way that the gas exchange between blood and air in the lungs is more difficult, ”says the DGP expert. Nevertheless, Koczulla is confident. He refers to data from Austria, which indicate a good tendency to regression after 60 or 100 days.[4]
Pay attention to late symptoms
Patients and treating staff should pay close attention to possible long-term effects after a COVID-19 infection. “If you still have difficulty breathing after six to eight weeks, it should definitely be examined,” advises Professor Dr. Claus Vogelmeier, CEO of the German Lung Foundation (DLS). We recommend that our colleagues look primarily at the heart and lungs, ”adds Professor Dr. med. Andreas M. Zeiher, President of the German Society for Cardiology – Heart and Circulatory Research (DGK).[2] The guideline developed by the DGP together with psychosomatic specialists, neurologists and general practitioners will help doctors to record and assign corresponding complaints.
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