LAWTON, Okla. – While most people typically deal with Coronavirus symptoms over a week and a half, others deal with day to day mild symptoms even after that.
Dr. Brian Meek is the Medical Director at Occupational Medicine inside of Comanche County Memorial Hospital.
He said about 95-percent quickly recovered from the virus within 7 to 10-days and can return to work. But some may have had previous underlying health issues before being affected by the virus, keeping them out for longer periods.
“Patients that still have lingering symptoms that are generally mild to moderate that may linger after their 10 to 14-day illness. Typically range from mild lingering dry cough, mild fatigue, weakness, they may still have some joint pains or mild chest pain, loss of taste and smell may linger. These symptoms can linger for weeks or months in a minority of patients,” Dr. Meek said.
Also, some are even dealing with a mood disorder, depression or anxiety depending on how long they were hospitalized or ill.
Meek said some mild symptoms can be taken care of personally.
“I would use common sense basically taking care of your health, eating properly, getting proper sleep, and pacing yourself in your work duties. Also working with your employer and supervisor for persistent lingering fatigue, headaches, or joint pains that I mentioned before,” Dr. Meek said.
The long term effects of the virus are still unknown at this time.
“We’re accumulating a lot of data at the national level. Researchers, scientists, and we’re trying to acquire the predominant symptoms that can contribute directly to the COVID-19 as far as cov-2 virus. Rather than medical issues and medical problems that produce symptoms that may be secondary to the illness and not directly contributable to the virus itself,” Dr. Meek said.
Meeks said anyone that is dealing with symptoms that they can’t manage on their own should go see their physician.
