The Long-Covid-Syndrome
Patients with Covid-19 can still suffer from symptoms or even develop secondary sicknesses, although they went through the infection. The Long-Covid-Syndrome often starts late, approximately in the 4th week after infections, sometimes even after a several months long period of sickness free time. While patients with a strong expression of the sickness (Intensive Care, Artificial Ventilation) can have follow-up problems from the start and begin an aftertreatment and rehabilitation immediately, patients with a light case of the sickness often do not identify prolonged problems as an aftermath of their past Covid-19 infection.
The Long-Covid-Syndrome is a multi-system-disease with multiple damages to the organs. As Corona-Viruses can cause inflammation reactions in the whole body, all organs can be effected. Thus the diagnosis has to be organ-specific. As long-time consequences of a Corona-19-infection the following symptoms have been characterised:
- Continuous fatigue, restricted general capability
- Continuous muscular weakness
- Headaches and cognitive problems (Disfunction of the ability to concentrate and to remember)
- Depression, lack of drive, psychological problems, sleep problems
- Shortage of breath under leight strain, occasionally in combination with chest pain or coughing
- Joint pain and muscle pain
- Continuous loss of the ability to smell or taste
- Endokrinological disfunction, loss of hair
- Gastrointestinal disorders
Therapeutical Procedure
It is not possible to define a general treatment schema. The therapy strategy is dependent on organ dificiencies and symptoms of the patient. The responsible physician develops the concrete plan of treatment individually for each patient.
Generally speaking the acute symptoms are targeted first for treatment. After that therapies to rehabilitate the general capability of the patient are implemented. For general support of the treatments an oral substitution of vitamins, micronutrients and antioxidants can be administered, similar as used in professional competetive sports.
A more detailed description of the therapeutical procedure (with case studies) can be found in an article by our chief physician Prof. Dr. Herzog. The article has been published in the german journal "Die Naturheilkunde" (The Naturopathy), Issue March 2021. You can find it directly here (the article is in german): "Das lange Leiden beim Long-COVID-Syndrom - Diagnostik, konventionelle und komplementäre Therapie".
