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Concerns have been raised around the long term effects that patients who have contracted COVID-19 could possibly experience.
The term, referred to as “long haul COVID-19”, is when a person contracts the virus and then in essence recovers or appears to recover, but its effects remain.
There is much concern about long term damage regarding this.
Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist Dr Rory Attwood from the Tygerberg Hospital in the Western Cape, who was diagnosed with COVID-19 this year and has since recovered, says he is suffering from such long term effects.
He says his symptoms include:
- sleep disturbances,
- swallowing and speaking difficulties,
- hearing loss,
- tinnitus (ringing of the ears),
- struggles with balance
- loss of articulation and,
- exhaustion; which can be both physical and mental.
Attwood says the symptoms may differ in each patient and has urged all people who have contracted the virus to monitor their bodies, even after recovery:
