COVID symptoms can be observed within 6 months after infection

Symptoms of “long COVID,” including a lingering cough and shortness of breath, persistent fatigue, dizziness, and insomnia, can be observed up to six months after infection, according to a study led by the Singapore National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Report informs referring to The Straits Times.

More importantly, the study also found elevated inflammatory markers regardless of whether the person had a serious or mild case of the disease. These proteins in the blood have been associated with conditions affecting the circulatory system and are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

“We understand from cases who passed on from acute Covid-19 that although the lungs are the major organ affected, the virus actually caused wider damage,” said Barnaby Young, a consultant in NCID who was involved in the study.

This included damage to the heart as well as the inner lining of small blood vessels.

In some individuals, the Sars-CoV-2 virus damages blood vessels, and in particular small vessels that are present in every part of the body, leading to blockage of the blood supply and bleeding, Young said.