Japanese doctors warn of the long-term effects of COVID-19 among young people

Doctors warn that many people who contract the coronavirus, especially younger patients, suffer side effects for a long time, despite the fact that they later test negative for the virus.

“Most are over 40 years old or younger. The government must take the problem seriously and implement countermeasures “, said one of the doctors.

Side effects include nausea and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, patients went to bed, even if they were diagnosed with a mild case of COVID-19 caused by the virus.

To date, there are not many medical institutions in Japan that treat patients suffering from such long-term effects.

Kaai Akimoto, a 30-year-old president of a healthcare company, was diagnosed with the virus in November, and his sense of taste has not returned since January. “I wonder how long it will take,” she said.

She sought the advice of an otolaryngologist who told her that nothing could be done. Another doctor prescribed the traditional one camp herbal medicine, but her condition has not improved.

Recently, he finds it difficult to eat because the hot food smells strange to him.

Akimoto shared his experience on Twitter. “There is little information and many people are scared. I hope they can help people deepen their understanding. “

Studies on the long-term effects of coronavirus infections are ongoing in some countries, such as Italy and the United States.

In Japan, the National Center for Global Health and Medicine conducted a telephone survey last year of coronavirus patients who had been discharged from hospitals. They collected responses from 63 people.

The survey found that in some cases, people continued to experience shortness of breath, malaise and olfactory disorders (reduced ability to smell) four months after they began to show symptoms of COVID-19.

There were also cases in which patients suffered hair loss a few months after contracting the disease, the center said.

No treatment has been established for the long-term effects of COVID-19, said Hiroshi Odaguchi, director general of the Center for Oriental Medicine Research at Kitasato University. “I think the doctors are struggling to respond.”

The Hirahata Clinic, which examined about 700 such patients across the country, said 95% complained of malaise, while more than 80% had a depressed mood and reduced thinking ability.

About 30 percent of patients were 40 years old, while nearly 50 percent were teenagers up to age 30, the clinic said. The number of women in all patients was 1.4 times higher than that of men.

Koichi Hirahata, the head of the clinic, suspects that a “cytokine storm”, a severe autoimmune response in which a patient’s immune system attacks healthy organs, could be one of the causes of long-term side effects.

He also suspects that women are more likely to suffer side effects than men because they report autoimmune diseases more often.

It is important that people who have recovered from COVID-19 refrain from exercising for a while, Hirahata said, warning that just a walk can cause their condition to deteriorate.

“In one case, a patient remained in bed after forced exercise and was fired from his job,” he said. “I want the government to take the issue seriously by taking steps such as communicating this issue to the public so that patients who suffer from these side effects do not face disadvantages.”