New COVID-19 variant raises concerns, long COVID becomes third leading neurologic disorder in the US – WJAR

New COVID-19 variant raises concerns, long COVID becomes third leading neurologic disorder in the US

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CHICAGO, Ill.

The CDC is tracking a new line of the COVID-19 virus. According to the lab, it has more than 30 mutations in total, which is much more than any other COVID variant circulating.

This comes at a time when COVID hospitalizations are beginning to rise up to more than 6,000 a week.

For one in every five people who get COVID, the symptoms persist for months, if not years.

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New research out of Northwestern Medicine found that millions of people who tested negative for the virus may actually have long COVID.

Brain fog, memory problems, fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, breathing problems, muscle aches, and heart issues.

All are symptoms of long COVID.

Neurologist Igor Koralnik is part of a team that studied more than 1800 long COVID patients.

More than 90% of patients that we see in the clinic are people who have never been hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia," said Koralnik.

Their study found 83% of patients had abnormal CT chest scans, 51%, cognitive impairment, 45%, altered lung function, and 12% had an elevated heart rate.

Long COVID has become the third leading neurologic disorder in the US.

Among previously hospitalized patients, the average age is 54. But among people who had never been hospitalized, with a mild case of COVID-19 initially, the average age is 44," said Koralnik.

According to research, long COVID hits women in their forties, who were never hospitalized earlier due to COVID.

We think that long COVID is a new autoimmune disease which is caused by the virus. said Koralnik.

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Women are four times more likely than men to develop autoimmune diseases.

Now Doctor Koralnik encourages patients to keep looking for a customized treatment that works for them.

Researchers at Northwestern are looking at biomarkers in the blood to see if they hold answers as to why one persons symptoms linger on, while others recover quickly.

Doctor Koralnik said that although the COVID-19 vaccine continues to save lives, they do not believe it has an impact on whether or not a person will get long COVID.

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New COVID-19 variant raises concerns, long COVID becomes third leading neurologic disorder in the US - WJAR