Thread by @DrEricDing

Watching—Doctors are warning of possible rise in cases of a debilitating nervous-system disorder—likely associated with #LongCovid. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) affect autonomic nervous system that controls body’s “automatic” functions.
ctvnews.ca/health/coronav…

2) POTS is a form of dysautonomia, an umbrella term for conditions that cause autonomic nervous system to malfunction. The autonomic nervous system controls the body’s “automatic” functions, such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, kidney function, and temperature control.

3) In cases of POTS, specifically, patients’ blood flow is affected and they can experience light-headedness, fainting, chest pains, shortness of breath, and an uncomfortable, rapid increase in heartbeat after standing up.

4) Dr. Juan Guzman, who specializes in the condition and is the director of the Syncope and Cardiovascular Autonomic Disorders Unit at Hamilton Health Sciences, said POTS is one of the most common forms of dysautonomia.
“It is basically an intolerance to standing,”

5) POTS can really impair patients’ quality of life.
“We need to stand up for everything,” he said.

6) Dr. Thao Huynh, a researcher at Montreal’s Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre who is leading a study evaluating the long-term symptoms of 200 patients who had COVID-19, said the condition can be very debilitating.

7) She said that between 15 to 20 per cent of the patients in her study have dysautonomia and that 60 per cent of those patients are unable to return to work because of their symptoms.
“They’re very young and healthy and active prior to the infection” ⚠️

8) New study also found #SARSCoV2 virus hidden in the cerebral spinal fluid of patients with #LongCovid — don’t ignore this neurological damage issue. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…