A senior doctor from Chulalongkorn University has asked the general public not to panic over long Covid symptoms, saying the condition is less prevalent in the Omicron wave.
Dr. Yong Poovorawan, head of the Center of Excellence In Clinical Virology at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine, said post-recovery symptoms can be found in COVID-19, as well as other diseases. Common long Covid symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, and breathing difficulty; which could be accompanied by chest pain, headaches, diarrhea, and loss of taste and smell. Mental conditions, which are more common than physical ones according to Dr. Yong, may include depression, stress, anxiety, and insomnia.
These long Covid symptoms can be found more frequently in older people, with a slightly higher proportion among women. Only a very few cases have been reported among children.
Dr. Yong said long Covid symptoms are related to the patient’s disease severity while infected with COVID-19, the conditions have become less prevalent as the Omicron variant becomes the dominant strain.
He said patients with long Covid would gradually recover with time. At the same time, vaccines remain effective in reducing disease severity, and will also help reduce the chances and severity of long Covid as well.
