TV expert Doc Esser - Symptoms gone, but still tired: what should I do after a coronavirus infection?
Many people currently have a mild case of coronavirus. But even if the symptoms are gone, the body often still doesn't seem to be really fit. Everyday things like doing the weekly shop are suddenly exhausting, which is completely normal. There is no illness that progresses in such a way that I am back to my old self as soon as the illness has healed. Even the weekly shop can be exhausting - and it can be. But it's also a sign from my body that I should take things slowly. Anyone who has just recovered from an infection should use the first week after recovery to slowly get back into everyday life. I may still be a little tired and exhausted. But it should get better from day to day. So I should be able to do a little more every day.
And what about sport?the rough rule of thumb is to take seven to ten days off after the symptoms have completely subsided. This only applies once you have healed, so there really must be no more symptoms. The start should be moderate: Amateur athletes should start with a brisk walk or some cycling, for example. You should listen to yourself to see whether the moderate exercise triggers new symptoms or whether the exercise is good for you.
If you want to return to endurance sports, should you seek medical advice beforehand?many amateur athletes have similar performance expectations to professionals. If you have such expectations, you should really consider it. Otherwise you run the risk of training too hard. This is because, unlike professionals, amateur athletes have no supervision or medical monitoring. If you do moderate sport, you can return to training on your own. If you previously ran eight kilometers, you should initially shorten your laps to three or four kilometers and gradually increase the distance.
When should I pay attention?If there are warning signs such as shortness of breath, chest tightness or heart problems, you should definitely see adoctorto clarify whether your lungs or heart have been damaged by the coronavirus infection. Patients can also develop a hyperactive bronchial system after a coronavirus infection. The bronchial tubes are more sensitive and react more strongly to stress or cold. Patients may develop a severe chesty cough or asthma with shortness of breath. This naturally requires further treatment. The good news is that such symptoms should disappear after four to six weeks. Many people who come to my consultation want to have an imaging procedure, an MRI, straight away to rule out myocarditis. If there is no loss of performance or symptoms, I strongly advise against this. This is because there may be evidence of myocarditis on the images, but without any other symptoms there is nothing behind it. So I'm not suddenly making something really bad out of nothing.
What about returning to work. Can I go back to work without any problems if the symptoms are gone and my test is negative?But you will also be surprised at how strenuous work can be. We find that some patients suffer from fatigue syndrome for a few days or longer. This can make activities that are normally easy to do very difficult. The following also applies in this case: return to work slowly and do not work twelve hours a day on a piecework basis.
What is a normal, longer recovery phase?Whenshould I start to worry that I have Long Covid?After the symptoms have completely healed, you can still feel tired for around ten days. If there is a further loss of performance after this or patients feel that nothing has changed, they should consult their GP. The GP can check whether recovery has slowed down and medication or a sick note is necessary. Or if everything is fine.
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After recovering from a Coronavirus infection, it's essential to take things slowly, even if everyday tasks like shopping feel exhausting due to the incidence of lingering fatigue. According to experts, it's advisable to wait seven to ten days before engaging in moderate exercise after the symptoms have completely subsided. For instance, amateur athletes can start with a brisk walk or cycling to see how their body reacts.
Source: www.stern.de
