A GP guide to COVID-19's long-term sequelae
It is becoming increasingly evident that survivors of severe, mild and even asymptomatic COVID-19 face a large range of post-acute conditions involving almost every organ system
Need to know:
- To date, the long-term sequelae from COVID-19 have been found to involve almost every organ system.
- Lasting effects can occur after infection of any severity, including asymptomatic and mild cases.
- Patients of all ages can be affected, including those with no prior comorbidities.
- Respiratory complications are the best described, including fibrosis and reduced diffusing capacity, and restrictive ventilatory defects.
- Neurological sequelae include acute ischaemic stroke, Guillain-Barré syndrome and transverse myelitis.
- Myocardial inflammation and associated dyspnoea, fatigue, chest pain and palpitations may persist for months after infection onset.
- Acute kidney injury associated with COVID-19 is typically severe and has resulted in end-stage kidney disease in a number of recovered patients with no pre-existing renal disease.
- Rarely, children may develop a post-infectious
