What comes after COVID-19? For some people, that answer is Post-COVID Syndrome. That is when milder symptoms of COVID-19 persist for any amount of time after you have had the virus. Dr. Doreen Perez, Student Health Services and Healthcare Coordinator and member of the official UNF COVID-19 Task Force, helped shed some light on this condition.

Dr. Perez explained how, similar to the risk factors to contracting the virus, the elderly and/or people with pre-existing conditions are more likely to experience this phenomenon. The symptoms of Post-COVID Syndrome are also very similar to regular COVID symptoms. A lot of the symptoms have been associated with reports of damage to the heart and its muscles, such as strokes and seizures. This is due to an increase in blood clotting, causing all these symptoms.

While not necessarily Post-COVID Syndrome, Perez explained how patients who have gone to the hospital and been put on ventilators can develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She said that they have been following patients after they are released for signs of anxiety or depression.

In regards to predicting the end of these symptoms, Perez explained that because COVID-19 is such a novel virus, there is difficulty in predicting when they will eventually subside.

“I had a friend who was infected last December, and she’s actually still experiencing the lung problem,” Perez mentioned.

Dr. Perez was very adamant about the fact that, while we still have a lot to learn, we have come a long way. People are not dying as much as before, and they are getting better at recognizing and treating COVID earlier before it gets worse for an individual. Being smart and safe is the best way to prevent exposure, especially over the holidays. 

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