Ashok Gupta discusses how COVID-19 might trigger longer-term illnesses like post-viral fatigue, particularly in people with weakened immunity or existing chronic conditions. Research on brain effects and long-term outcomes is still early, but evidence from other coronaviruses suggests risks worth monitoring.
What is the link between COVID 19 and chronic illnesses? Could COVID 19 herald a wave of secondary illnesses following in its wake? And are we on the brink of seeing an outbreak of post viral fatigue syndromes in some people who've had COVID 19? Well, firstly, we already know that people with a compromised immune system are at greater risk of more serious illness from this infection. And we also know that there is some initial evidence of post viral fatigue syndromes occurring in those with other coronaviruses. But the research about how this virus affects the brain is still in its infancy and we're only at the beginning of understanding the long term effects of this pandemic. Now, what happens if we already have a chronic illness such as ME, chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia or similar? How could COVID 19 affect us and what precautions can we take? Well, researchers are still unsure of the mechanisms that may cause longer term effects on patients, but we here at the Gupta Program have a model which may help us explain what happens in the brain and the body. So please join me live on Facebook on Wednesday 27th May for what will be a must watch session on what you need to know about the coronavirus and chronic conditions. You can sign up for the event right now for free and I look forward to seeing you then.
