If you have had COVID-19, be sure to do these tests

Even a mild case of COVID-19 can leave traces in the body. Complications after illness from SARS-CoV-2 are referred to as “long COVID-19” and they cover the entire list of symptoms. Doctors encourage you to control the state of the body after the fight against the coronavirus, even if we do not complain about health. Complications can be much more dangerous than the infection itself.

1. Experts have no doubt that the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can be acute or mild
2. The infection may also be asymptomatic
3. However, if we know that we have contracted COVID-19, it is worth going to the doctor for a set of tests to be performed – says family doctor Michał Domaszewski
4. ECG, lung x-ray, morphology, cholesterol, saturation and liver tests will show the condition of our body. It is important because – as medics emphasize – the virus can do a lot of damage to it
5. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

The course of COVID-19 in patients and scientific research confirm that SARS-CoV-2 affects various organs. What’s more, a recovering person, i.e. a person who has overcome the coronavirus, may struggle with a number of ailments for a long time. The most common words are chronic fatigue and shortness of breath. But “long COVID-19” also means depressed mood and depressive episodes, memory, smell and taste disorders, chest tightness and pain, abdominal pain, headache, cough, sleep disturbances, dizziness, appetite disorders, earaches, and as serious as myocarditis, circulatory failure and arrhythmias.

Michał Domaszewski, family doctor and author of the blog “Doctor Michał”, explained in an interview with Wirtualna Polska, what tests each healer should undertake. The doctor cites the story of a patient who, despite his advanced age, mildly underwent COVID-19. Several weeks later, multiple lung lesions were detected in him. – Due to irreversible changes in the lungs, he will have to be “under oxygen” for the rest of his life, says the doctor.

What tests should be done after COVID-19?

– I always recommend that people who have had COVID-19 contact their GP. He will assess whether there is a need to perform tests, and if so, which ones – explains Michał Domaszewski.

The list of tests that should be performed after an infection includes:

1. Complete blood count along with CRP (C-reactive protein) determination, which will exclude the inflammatory process in the body

1. Testing your TSH level (blood test) will show that your thyroid is working properly
2. A creatinine test (blood test) will show that your kidneys are working properly
3. X-ray of the lungs will allow to assess their condition
4. The EKG will allow you to assess the condition of the heart
5. The lipidogram (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides) is an assessment of the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases

1. Testing the level of electrolytes (sodium, potassium), i.e. diagnostics of water and electrolyte balance and acid-base balance disorders
2. Vitamin D level testing

1. Transaminase ALT and transaminase AST — liver screening tests
2. Blood pressure test
3. Testing the level of saturation (blood saturation with oxygen).

After having had COVID-19 (six weeks at the earliest), a test for the presence of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can be performed to assess the level of resistance to re-infection.

Read: What awaits us after Omikron? Scientists about possible “surprises”

What to look for in children with a history of infection?

Children should be especially vigilant for two to eight weeks after being infected with the coronavirus to quickly recognize possible PIMS, a multi-system inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19. PIMS poses a direct threat to the child’s life. This complication may lead to tragic consequences of cardiovascular failure and myocarditis. What’s more, it is known that it can also occur after a very mild or asymptomatic course of infection.

As the pediatrician Dr. Magdalena Okarska-Napierała explains, PIMS is a generalized inflammation that damages various tissues and organs. – The disease is manifested by high fever, oscillating around 39-40 degrees C, which is usually accompanied by severe pain in the abdomen, head, neck, throat, diarrhea and vomiting. The rash can appear anywhere on the body. The inflammatory syndrome is also manifested by conjunctivitis, chapped lips, swelling of the hands and feet and significant weakness – the specialist lists, emphasizing that PIMS is a disease that generally has a very spectacular course. This is a complication that is hard to overlook.

Glucose testing may be considered in children who are asymptomatic. -Some scientific studies suggest that in children there may be a correlation between the development of diabetes and the occurrence of COVID-19 – emphasizes Dr. Michał Domaszewski.

The editorial board recommends:

1. Which blood group protects against infection and severe course of COVID-19? Scientists have checked it
2. There is a growing number of people who definitely do not want to vaccinate
3. Omikron or Delta? Three symptoms will give you a clue. But be careful!

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