Amid all the chaos brought along by COVID-19 pandemic, long COVID is an enigma scientists are yet to completely decipher. We know that it occurs post a SARs-CoV-2 infection and causes debilitating symptoms in some patients for weeks and months. But a new study reveals that long COVID can even occur in people who have tested negative for the virus. This highlights how several long COVID cases go unidentified because patients do not receive an official diagnosis.
Speaking with the OnlyMyHealth team, Dr Hari Kishan, MBBS, MD-Internal Medicine, MRCP Consultant General Physician, Kamineni Hospitals, LB Nagar, explains what long COVID is and whether it can occur in those who tested negative for COVID.
Study Findings
The study published in the Journal Neurology, Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, examined 29 patients with Post-Viral Syndrome (PVS) after suspected COVID-19.
41% of the total participants, who reported symptoms but had not tested positive at the time of the infection, were said to have T cell responses or antibody responses to COVID-19. This indicated that they had been infected with the virus but had not received a positive diagnosis.
Also Read: No COVID Antibodies After 3 Or More Vaccinations: New Study Reveals People Most At Risk Of Infection
As per the study authors, this led to delayed clinical care in patients with PVS, despite persistent symptoms.
Dr Kishan says, “It is possible for individuals who initially tested negative for COVID-19 to develop long COVID if they had a mild or asymptomatic infection, or if their initial test was a false negative.”
According to the doctor, long COVID can affect people regardless of their initial testing status.
The CDC suggests that while most people with Long COVID have a past history of infection or COVID-19 illness, in some cases, a person with Long COVID may not have tested positive for the virus or known they were infected.
Understanding Long COVID And Its Symptoms
Dr Kishan defines long COVID as a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after the acute phase of a COVID-19 infection. The symptoms can vary widely from person to person but commonly include:
- Extreme tiredness and weakness
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, even after recovery
- Chest pain and discomfort
- Brain fog meaning trouble concentrating or remembering things
- Pain and inflammation in the joints
- Frequent or severe headaches
- Changes in or loss of smell and taste
- Irregular or rapid heartbeats
- Nausea, diarrhoea, or abdominal pain
- Anxiety, depression, or mood swings
Can Asymptomatic People Get Long COVID?
Some people with COVID-19 may remain asymptomatic or have mild symptoms, which can make it difficult to know they were infected without testing. Others may mistake COVID-19 symptoms for other illnesses, says Dr Kishan.
This can contribute to cases of long COVID in individuals who were unaware of their initial infection.
Asymptomatic COVID infections refer to infections that cause no symptoms. In certain cases, it may lead to mild complications that can be mistaken for other illnesses.
Although research suggests long COVID symptoms are much more prevalent in people who have had severe symptomatic SARs-CoV-2 infections, post-COVID syndrome occurred in 30–60% of patients who had either asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 infections, as per a study published in the Journal Pathogens.
Bottomline
Long COVID continues to be the most interesting yet worrying condition associated with COVID-19. Scientists and researchers continue to work towards understanding the science behind it and every now and then find fascinating data and facts. The new study highlights why everyone irrespective of whether one tests positive or negative for COVID-19 should be vigilant against long COVID. Coronavirus testing results should not be a determining factor for whether you will develop long COVID or not.
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