The death toll reported for the COVID-19 pandemic has exceeded 5 million out of the more than 240 million that have been infected. Learn about the implications of long COVID.
Most COVID-19 patients that have recovered from the disease have resumed their normal life, but a large proportion of those previously affected are ailing with long-term effects of the disease. Although COVID is primarily a respiratory disease, it can also have an impact on other organs like the heart and the brain. Some of the observed deterioration of the function of solid organs (lung, kidneys, gut, heart, brain, liver) seem to be related directly or indirectly to the formation of blood clots, which are triggered by the disease.
Can patients who have already recovered come down with syndromes?
In hospitals, the group of patients with these long-COVID symptoms is growing and even those who were considered “fully recovered” may come down with some form of this syndrome. The list of potential long-term effects is long and includes mild effects like dizziness, cough, or fatigue as well as more serious impairments of health like joint and chest pain or mental health problems to name a few.
COVID-19 patients will need close monitoring for potential long-term effects, which will include an increased number of diagnostics. The primary target organ of the SARS virus is the lung of the infected patients. The lung needs careful evaluation with pulmonary function tests. To understand their lung status, patients will exhale into and inhale from a diagnostic apparatus (e.g., a spirometer or a body plethysmograph).
Cytiva has developed and sells the Pro-Tec™ PF30 filter specifically for pulmonary function testing. It combines a high filtration efficiency for droplets that can be potentially loaded with micro-organisms from the patients’ breath. But at the same time, it has a very low flow resistance and small dead space. It therefore gives a high degree of protection against cross contamination without impairing the diagnostic procedure.
Author bio
Dr. Wolfgang Hares, MSc PHD, Sr. Global Manager Scientific Affairs for Gas Filtration and Respiratory Care
Dr. Hares supports a range of products, which include filters for mechanical ventilation, surgical and medical gas applications, and pulmonary function testing. He has held several roles in regional and global marketing functions and holds a MsSc from the University of Cologne and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University Hamburg, Germany.