Long-haul Covid patients can experience 'waves of symptoms,' early research suggests

Individual Experience: Kelly Marcilliat, a 55-year-old from Denver, shares his cognitive difficulties months after initial COVID-19 recovery.
Emergence of Long-term Symptoms: New research suggests that long-term COVID-19 symptoms may appear in a distinct pattern over weeks and months. It is know as Long COVID

Researcher: Natalie Lambert, an associate research professor at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Method: Surveyed thousands of "long-hauler" COVID-19 patients to understand the pattern of symptom emergence.
Preliminary Findings: The early findings, shared exclusively with NBC News, indicate that symptoms tend to emerge in "waves" at regular intervals, usually every week or 10 days.
Importance: Dr. Richard Walker emphasized the significance of the research, highlighting its potential to help mitigate problems by predicting the disease course.

Participants: 5,163 long-haulers were surveyed through the Survivor Corps website.
Symptom Reporting: Patients reported over 100 symptoms, with a note that not all might be connected to COVID-19.
Symptom Tracking: Many long-haulers meticulously track their symptoms week by week to report to their doctors.

First Wave (Initial):
- Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms such as fatigue, headache, fever, and chills.
- Duration: Initial stage of the illness.
Second Wave (5 days later):
- Symptoms: Gastrointestinal issues including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
- Duration: Generally starts five days after the first wave.
Third Wave (10 days into illness):
- Symptoms: Neurological issues such as confusion, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating, accompanied by joint and low back pain.
- Duration: Starts around ten days into the illness.
Fourth Wave (15 days into illness):
- Symptoms: Cardiovascular symptoms including variations in blood pressure, heart palpitations, and a tendency to faint.
- Duration: Begins about fifteen days into the illness.
Fifth Wave (21 days into illness):
- Symptoms: Issues like mouth sores, muscle twitching, eye infections, and a skin condition known as "COVID toes."
- Duration: Starts roughly twenty-one days into the illness.

Symptom Persistence: New symptoms don't necessarily replace the old ones; they can linger, fade, and re-emerge later.
Treatment Insights: Understanding the symptom waves could potentially offer insights into more effective treatment strategies for long-haulers.
Need for Further Research: The findings are preliminary and require further research for confirmation.

Diagnosis: No standard criteria to define or diagnose long-haulers exist currently.
Patient Anxiety: Patients experience anxiety due to the unpredictability of the symptoms and their long duration.
Neurological Symptoms: The reason behind the prevalence of neurological symptoms in the post-acute phase of COVID-19 remains unclear.

Call for Research: There is a call for defining the scientific pathways contributing to these symptoms to develop effective therapies.
Patient Distress: Patients are desperate for answers, experiencing a lack of control and extreme unsettlement due to the unpredictable nature of the symptoms.