Covid long-term consequence fatigue: “They are people under 60, not the older ones!”

Carmen Scheibenbogen, head of the Fatigue Center at the Berlin Charité, speaks about the long-term consequences of a Covid 19 infection. It reveals the symptoms “Long Covid” patients suffer from – and which patient group is most affected.

Even months after a corona illness, many patients suffer from long-term effects – such as fatigue, concentration disorders and headaches. Some also complain about taste and smell disorders, hair loss or skin changes.

Persistent exhaustion after corona infection: It affects the younger generation in particular

Carmen Scheibenbogen heads the Fatigue Center at the Berlin Charité. She is actually doing research on chronic fatigue syndrome, but from summer 2020 she encountered a new phenomenon: “Long Covid” patients.

 The y complained of suffering from fatigue – a kind of permanent exhaustion.

For this reason, Scheibenbogen set up an additional consultation hour to research the “Long Covid” patients more closely. Half a year later came the realization, as the expert told the “Tagesspiegel”: “In fact, the chronic fatigue syndrome after Covid also occurs.”

Surprisingly, it was mainly younger people whose lungs were initially not affected by the Covid disease who came to the consultation hour. Those affected are said to have suffered from complaints three months later. In some cases, this developed into chronic fatigue syndrome after six months.

Even if the younger ones are often better at coping with the actual illness, Scheibenbogen observed: “It is people under 60 who present themselves to us with the long-term consequences, not the older ones!”

Disc arch emphasizes the urgency to investigate long-term effects

 The  head of the Fatigue Center would like to continue researching the long-term effects of Covid-19. Above all, one must “precisely define the different, complex clinical pictures of Long Covid” in order to be able to treat them in a targeted manner. In return, she hopes for quick research support, as she continues to tell the “Tagesspiegel”.

Currently one can only treat symptom-oriented. “We advise patients against stress such as sport, treat sleep disorders and recommend breathing techniques against stress,” says Carmen Scheibenbogen.