Long COVID

As if the COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t enough to bring the world to its knees, now thousands of people across the globe are dealing with the long term side effects this disease can bring. The World Health Organization has called the persistent state of ill health after COVID-19 ‘post COVID condition’, commonly known as ‘Long COVID’. Many studies are emerging on this, but we still have a lot to learn about the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 and how we treat it.

Information from the NZ Ministry of Health states most people with COVID-19 will return to normal health after 2–6 weeks, and many make a full recovery within 12 weeks. Unfortunately as many as 1 in 3 people infected have developed serious symptoms that have lasted more than 3-6 months. Long COVID often occurs after more severe disease, although it can occur after a very mild dose.

There is ongoing research about whether some people are more likely to develop long COVID. It is seen in all age groups, including children, and appears to be more common among the older age groups, females, those with a higher body mass index, have an underlying chronic medical condition, and those who were admitted to hospital during the acute phase of COVID-19.

Studies have shown, the exceptionally high vaccination rate in New Zealand provides protection against severe disease, and also against long COVID, however, because so many New Zealanders have, and will, become unwell with Omicron, a large number of people will still develop long COVID symptoms.

Commonly reported long COVID symptoms include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Fatigue
• Breathlessness, nasal congestion
• Cough, sore throat
• Chest tightness, heart palpitations
• Cognitive impairment (‘brain fog’, loss of concentration or memory issues)
• Headache
• Sleep disturbance
• Dizziness
• Joint, muscle pains
• Muscle pain
• Gastrointestinal symptoms
• Tinnitus, Earache
• Loss of taste and, or smell

 As long COVID is still new, scientists and healthcare providers are still working out the best ways to manage and treat it. One factor that appears to increase the risk of developing long COVID is “keeping going at all costs,” after contracting the acute infection. Those with a less severe infection may be tempted to “push through” and carry on as normal.  Fatigue is condition of both acute COVID-19 infection and long COVID. Fatigue is debilitating and can make previously simple tasks exhausting. The best advice is to allow yourself time to rest both physically and mentally, to optimise your chance of a full recovery. 

Keeping a robust immune system all year round is essential to providing a good defense against any viral invaders we may encounter. Nature’s Sunshine has a wide range of products to not only aid healthy immune function but provide support for the unpleasant symptoms that are commonly experienced. 

Nature’s Sunshine Nervous Fatigue has been specifically formulated to help strengthen the nervous system, acting as a rejuvenating tonic for weakness and fatigue stemming from stress, long term illness, emotional burnout, or chronic nervous conditions.