Thread by @ScienceUpFirst

Long COVID has over 100 identified symptoms, of which many are measurable impairments that can't be explained by the stress of the current pandemic. #LongCOVID is definitely not an imaginary disease.

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One of the most common symptoms reported in long COVID patients is fatigue. This can be explained by the low oxygen levels measured in long COVID patients, which can strain the patient’s body.

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Cognitive impairment (e.g. attention, memory, thinking, or concentrating disorders), can be explained by inflammation, lower blood flow in the brain, and similar processes to cognitive aging and neurodegenerative disease.

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Shortness of breath, in long COVID patients, seems to be caused by a lower lung efficiency at extracting oxygen from the air, even when the patient's lung structure appears to be intact.

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Headache, general pain, discomfort, and mental health symptoms were also common symptoms reported in long COVID patients.

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Understanding the mechanisms surrounding long COVID is important because:
- Cases are in the millions
- Anyone w/ a SARS-CoV-2 infection can develop long COVID
- 9% of long COVID patients remain unable to work after 3 months
- Can help guide treatment

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The good news is that vaccination reduces the risk of #LongCovid and the more doses you have, the better your chances of not developing it are. One more reason to get boosted this fall!

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Do you have questions about long COVID? Send us a message.

Together we can shed light on long COVID and stop the spread of misinformation!

Sources: tinyurl.com/SUFLongCovidIs…

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