Post-COVID Hospitals

A New York City hospital recently opened a new center specifically designed for patients who are suffering from lingering symptoms associated with COVID-19. Experts from the Mount Sinai Health System report that as many as 5-15% of patients are facing lingering symptoms from COVID-19.

Located in Union Square, the facility results in a combination of medical professionals from a variety of specialties. Some of the experts who are assembled at the center include primary care, pulmonary medicine, cardiology, infectious disease, nephrology, physiatry, physical and occupational therapy, radiology, neuropsychiatry, behavioral health, social workers, and pharmacists.

Many of the care center’s patients tend to be on the younger side, with a median age of 36 to 38 years old. In most cases, these patients did not have severe COVID-19 cases.

While much of the media has focused on people who were placed on ventilators and later passed away, much remains to be learned about people who have survived COVID-19 and now face lingering symptoms.

Lingering COVID-19 Symptoms

With more than 3 million COVID-19 cases in the United States, there are some people who have recovered from the virus and are now experiencing lingering symptoms. Some of the known complications from COVID-19 include:

• Blood clots. A common condition that arises in a fourth of critically ill COVID-19 patients is blood clots, which can cause serious long-term complications.
• In most patients who receive ICU care, confusion is a substantial risk. Delirium involves confusion, difficulty paying attention to surroundings, and reduced awareness. Confusion can last for months.
• While not a specific COVID-19 complication, delirium is common in patients who receive ICU care. The confusion associated with delirium often lasts for months after the patient is hospitalized. Patients experiencing delirium often have difficulty with short-term memory and decreased ability to comprehend written and spoken words.
• Diabetics are at an increased risk of experiencing the severe form of COVID-19. In many cases with severe COVID-19, elevated glucose levels are seen, perhaps because the virus disrupts the activity of the ACE2 parts of cells. Regardless, diabetics who survive COVID-19 will require long-term follow-up.
• Inflammation of the heart has been observed in approximately a third of all severely ill COVID-19 patients. The long term impact that COVID-19 has on a person’s heart, however, is not understood. People with heart issues who survive COVID-19 will likely require long-term care.
• The most severely ill COVID-19 patients often experience pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndromes (ARDS). Medical professionals have not followed patients who have recovered from COVID-19 long enough yet to determine if these survivors will have long-term difficulty breathing.
• Post-infection fatigue syndrome. The Center for Disease Control’s criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome were met in a quarter of COVID-19 patients. It will be critical for medical providers to help survivors deal with these symptoms.
• Smell and taste. Many patients with COVID-19 experience the loss of both taste and smell. Over time, most patients recover from this syndrome.
• Mental health. Besides treating physical symptoms, care centers will need to treat anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other emotional issues caused by the virus.

One of the most perplexing aspects of COVID-19 is that no two people with the virus seem to experience the same symptoms. As a result, these are just some of the most common symptoms that COVID-19 survivors are likely to experience.

Stages in NYC and Nearby Areas

Besides physical conditions, one of the additional challenges that COVID-19 survivors face is that New York City and the surrounding areas are each in different response phases. As of July 18, 2020, the following areas close to New York City are in the following phases:

• Still in phase 2, Connected has limited opening for restaurants with no indoor bars being permitted. Entertainment and events are permitted in the state, but only up to 50 people. Some of the industries that are open in the state include aquariums, bowling alleys, gyms, movie theaters, museums, outdoor amusement parks, parks, pools, social clubs, and zoos. In regards to learning, distance learning is utilized for kindergarten to twelfth grade. Selected youth sports, public libraries, summer day camps, non-residential workforce programs, and nonresidential clinical/laboratory courses opened in the state in mid-June. Kindergarten through 12th-grade summer school began in the state on July 6.
• Long Island. In phase 3, indoor dining at restaurants in Long Island is permitted at 50% capacity. Some of the industries that are open in Long Island include car dealerships, nail salons, professional officers, rental and leasing offices, retail stores, spas, tattoo parlors. Distance learning is utilized for kindergarten to 12th-grade.
• New Jersey. Still in phase 2, New Jersey has limited openings for libraries, museums, and retail shops. Indoor dining is on pause in the state. Some of the sectors that are open in the state include barbershops, beauty salons, cosmetology shops, day and medical spas, massage parlors, nail salons, restaurants with outdoor seatings, personal care, tanning salons, and tattoo parlors. Summer school and summer camps in the state must have limited in-person engagement.
• New York City. In phase 3, New York City permits outdoor dining only, but various locations like car dealerships, hair salons, nail salons, professional offices, rental and leasing offices, retail stores, spas, and tattoo parlors are open. Distance learning is utilized for kindergarten to 12th grade.
• The Northern Suburbs of NYC. In phase 4, the northern suburbs of NYC allow indoor dining at restaurants at 50% capacity, and music and film productions are open. Some of the other facilities that are open include arts and entertainment activities, aquariums, barbershops, botanical gardens, car dealerships, hair salons, historical sites, outdoor museums, professional sports without fans in attendance, spas, parks, rental and leasing offices, retail stores, tattoo parlors, and zoos. Distance learning is utilized for kindergarten to 12th graders, but higher education institutions are open.

Contact a Knowledgeable Accident Attorney

 If you need the assistance of a skilled Long Island accident attorney, call the the Law Office of  Cohen & Jaffe LLP today. Our office continues to take precautions to minimize health risks and we are pleased to accommodate video conferencing for any clients that prefer to not to come to our office.

For a free legal consultation, call 516-358-6900