Health
Heart, Lungs, Kidneys susceptible to damage due to COVID, study says
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, May 27, 2022 – Long COVID is a risk of contracting COVID-19, having it for a prolonged time and the health side-effects that sometimes follow but even people who get over the disease quickly are at risk for organ damage according to a recent study carried out by the University of Glasgow and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
The study was “A multisystem, cardio-renal investigation of post-COVID-19 illness” and found that 28- 60 days after being discharged some COVID patients showed signs of heart inflammation and other organ damage.
“The likelihood of myocarditis (heart muscle inflammation) was ‘very likely’ in 21 (13%) patients, ‘probable’ in 65 (41%) patients, ‘unlikely’ in 56 (35%) patients and ‘not present’ in 17 (11%) patients.”
The study used Heart, Lungs and Kidneys imaging to assess the effects of COVID and found that these organs of the
Especially important was the effect on women who make up the majority of healthcare workers worldwide. Women were found to be more susceptible to long COVID and heart muscle inflammation.
“Female sex was an invariable associate of adjudicated myocarditis, which, in turn, was associated with lower mental and physical well-being.”
The also study found that there was a possibility of physical limitations in female patients after COVID.
Scar tissue on the heart muscle which reduces heart function was a ‘surprisingly common’ finding the researchers said. And even after recovering from Covid-19 patients had,
“lower health-related quality of life, enhanced illness perception, higher levels of anxiety and depression, lower levels of physical activity and lower predicted maximal oxygen utilization.”
An interesting finding which the researchers say needs more to be confirmed with more studies is that “fit individuals” without comorbidities might be more susceptible to longer effects of COVID and their heart may take a greater hit, whereas, “Individuals with cardiovascular risk factors and pre-existing cardiovascular morbidity have less reserve (or buffering capacity) to tolerate illness and are hospitalized with relatively milder COVID-19 illness.”
One in seven of the patients either died or were re-admitted to hospital over the course of the study, which lasted for a year and two months, additionally two-thirds of the patients had to seek secondary care.
The study concluded that infection with COVID19 caused persistent health impairments that would lead to “substantial demand on healthcare services in the future”