Three in 10 people who have COVID-19 will also have long COVID; that's not good

Believe it or not, COVID-19 is not going away.

It seems that official attitudes are increasingly hands-off toward the on-going pandemic. This is more due to public pressure to get back to normal than to a significant reduction in infections.

The idea is that if we don’t hear about it, and don’t talk about it, somehow it will go away. That may be the reason why many people no longer take precautions like wearing a mask, physically distancing themselves and choosing carefully whether to attend crowded events. The consequences are devastating with an increase in COVID case numbers and the corresponding growth in cases of long COVID.

Since the pandemic began, Franklin County has reported about 46,500 cases and 740 deaths — some were my closest friends. The numbers are growing with hundreds of new cases being reported in Franklin County each week. And these numbers exclude all those cases discovered through home tests and were not reported.

COVID Omicron’s variant, BA.1, emerged in late 2021, clinically and genetically different from earlier variants. It displaced the Delta variant and, in early 2022, was itself displaced by BA.2. Months later, BA.5 has evolved to overtake other variants and now causes 80% of the infections in this country. It can evade immunity acquired through earlier infections and breakthrough infections in vaccinated people. BA.5 has become dominant which means that we will become more susceptible to COVID infection.

Along with COVID infection comes long COVID suffering. This spells a huge risk of a devastating outcome to those having already suffered through COVID illness.

With COVID evolving and spreading through the population, we are facing more than an initial COVID discomfort and sickness. BA.5 is more likely to cause long COVID than earlier versions. It has been estimated that as many as 30% (three out of 10) of those infected with BA.5 will develop long COVID.

These numbers exclude all those which were not reported.

Once you have BA.5 or one of its predecessors and develop long COVID, there is no cure. It can affect multiple organs and systems, be debilitating, and can only be managed by symptoms, rather than curative. Symptoms include loss of smell and taste, fatigue, difficulty breathing, reduced strength, concentration problems, memory loss, sleep disruption and exhaustion. There is a high frequency of heart-rhythm issues and musculo-skeletal discomfort.

Older survivors of bouts with COVID have a higher risk of developing kidney failure, clotting disorders, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and a variety of psychiatric conditions.

Chances of suffering from long COVID increase with the number of reinfections. Going to work and earning an income can become difficult at best.

On the other hand, vaccinations reduce the risk of long COVID, severe disease, hospitalization, time in the ICU and death.

There is nothing magical about this. BA.5 is a virus, and it needs a susceptible host to mutate. Just like in SARS-COV-2, that has been around quite a while and is the predecessor of BA.5, the virus can be deadly as it damages cells and tissues that in turn increase the chances for blood to clot, causing strokes.

Mild or moderate COVID lasts about two weeks for most people. That might be one reason some folks don’t seem to worry about catching the disease. But for perhaps 30% of people, long-term effects of a COVID infection can cause lingering health problems and wreak havoc for months, or years, or a life-time.

That means, after you no longer have other symptoms of COVID, long COVID may remain in your body undetected until down the road you begin to feel abnormally tired, have trouble breathing, and/or struggle with thinking and memory. Then, bad things can happen.

Long COVID symptoms can come and go, but as they bear down on you, the disease can have a devastating impact on your everyday functioning. When BA.5 attacks your body, it can damage your lungs, heart, nervous system, kidneys, liver and other organs. The virus can even cause you mental health problems.

A bad case of COVID can produce scarring and other permanent problems in the lungs, but even mild infections can cause persistent shortness of breath. Lung recovery after COVID takes time, sometimes months. Long COVID can leave some people with heart problems, including inflammation of the heart muscle. This inflammation can appear even in those who experience a mild case of COVID and who had no medical issues before they got sick.

COVID infection can cause kidney damage and raises the risk of long-term kidney disease and the need for dialysis.

And there is more. Loss of taste and smell can last weeks, to months, to years. Mental issues can appear and worsen. Cognitive impairment can have a severe impact on a person’s life. This means that long COVID sufferers can experience changes in the way they think, concentrate, speak and remember. These symptoms can affect the ability to work and maintain daily living activities.

If you don’t want COVID and don’t want to live with the effects of long COVID, then you have to take it upon yourself to avoid BA.5 and its predecessors. You have to be the captain of your own body. Only you can do this.

Here’s how. Wear a mask over your nose and mouth. Stay away from close contact with others. Stay out of crowds. And for pity sake, get vaccinated and regularly boosted. You must lower your own risks of COVID infection. No one is going to do this for you.

While breakthrough infections are common, being fully vaccinated and current with your boosters, and wearing a mask, really are effective in reducing the risk of serious illness and the life-altering health issues of long COVID.

Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, Shippensburg University Trustee, and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx software coordinates and drives communication, specifying, approval, procurement or production, reporting and activities necessary to obtaining direct mail, marketing materials, promo and all other printing. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Still take precautions to avoid COVID because its effects can linger