Some who are infected with COVID-19 could experience long-term effects from the disease, also known as long COVID-19.
The CDC reports that long COVID symptoms could last weeks, months or years and include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, hair loss, chest pain and headaches.
Long COVID is found more often in people who had a severe bout with the illness, the CDC says. Those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 are at a higher risk compared to people who are vaccinated, according to the CDC.
“Unfortunately, for people that have gone through COVID, 10 to 15% of them will go on — at the four-week mark — to have either lingering symptoms that they had during COVID or even new symptoms that can be scary or surprising,” Ted Long, a vice president at NYC Health + Hospitals, said on NY1 Saturday morning. “That’s why it’s a critical time for us to pay attention to long COVID because it needs to be a part of our recovery.”
Long says the city has a variety of resources available to New Yorkers combatting long COVID. Residents can call (212) COVID-19 to be connected with a specialist and arrange a treatment plan.
“We aren’t going to miss a thing,” Long said. “We have a pulmonologist and a cardiologist on site that can help you. If it’s mental health, we have mental health support on site, as well. Or, if it is some symptoms like my patients have had, like hair loss, which can be surprising and scary, we can figure out a good plan to deal with a referral to a dermatologist.”
The city also held a long COVID-19 symposium on June 8, which provided support to New Yorkers dealing with long COVID.
“The symposium which we hosted did include medical practitioners,” Long said. “But the most important voice was how we kicked off that symposium: the voice of patients.”