The Return of COVID?
Is COVID-19 returning? Actually, it never left. Viruses thrive to survive. They continuously remodel themselves just for survival. Even though mitigation efforts have greatly decreased the incidence of COVID-19, it is on the rise again. We will be in this cycle of high and low for quite some time. Many experts predict it will eventually be a common virus such as the flu.
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Individuals with neurological diseases and injuries are at particular risk for the development of COVID-19. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is frequently affected by neurological issues. This is because the ANS governs the response to all body invaders such as bacteria and viruses. The affected ANS may not recognize an invader, may not send an effective response to fight the invader, or may do nothing at all.
Who has an affected ANS and the amount of ANS challenges is difficult to say. There are medical tests to assess the ANS but they are challenging to the body and difficult to perform. In other words, the risks of these tests far outweigh the benefits of having them performed. Therefore, anyone with a neurological issue is considered immunocompromised or high-risk.
Additional conditions can compound your risk of COVID-19 including obesity, respiratory illness (ventilatory dependency, asthma, emphysema), diabetes, immobility, advanced age, and immobility.
Taking care of your health needs is important to your well-being. As an individual with neurological issues, you can receive extra boosters of the COVID-19 vaccine. Each booster is developed to control the current and most frequent variants of the COVID-19 virus. The vaccines are intended to reduce the symptoms of COVID-19 and death but may not prevent you from getting it.
Most Common Symptoms of COVID-19 as listed by the CDC include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
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You may have one, some, all these symptoms, or additional symptoms as new variants appear. If you do think you may have COVID-19 or have had exposure to it, have a COVID-19 test performed. You might have an at-home testing kit or need to go to a local pharmacy for testing. Home tests assess antigens of COVID. A positive result means notifying your health professional immediately for treatment options. A negative test is less reliable so if you have an exposure or have symptoms, you will need to repeat the test in 48 hours, two times. A PCR (Polymerase Chain reaction) test is a blood test but takes three days for results during which time you need to isolate and follow all precautions just as if you have COVID-19 until proven otherwise.
More testing information is on the CDC website here.
There are treatments that can help if you develop COVID-19. Specific antiviral medications are available to treat COVID-19. These include Nirmatrelvir with Ritonavir (Paxlovid) by mouth for adults and children over the age of 12, Remdesivir given IV for adults and children, and Molnupiravir by mouth for adults. The best results occur when treatment is started early.
If you have COVID-19, it is extremely contagious so stay at home, and isolate including from your family to reduce the spread. You and your caregiver should wear a mask, either an N95 or a KN95 (if over age two and have hand function), wash your hands for the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice and stay in a well-ventilated room.