DOH to monitor long-term effects on COVID infected

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is closely evaluating the long-term effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on those who got infected, already numbering over 41,000 individuals as of July 4.

According to DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, the department is now working with medical experts from various specialty societies and the technical advisory group to look into the possible long-term complications of COVID-19.

So far, she said the complications seen in “some patients or survivors of COVID-19 such as heart, kidney and lung problems are mainly due to the hyper-inflammatory response of our body.”

Vergeire noted this means that the “symptoms or complications are not really caused by the virus.”

“The symptoms and complications that we see are only signs that the body is resisting the virus,” she added.

In other countries, there were reports that the virus can penetrate the major organs of the bodies and can cause long-term effects like heart ailment, kidney scarring and even mental health conditions.

But since the disease is primarily a respiratory illness, health experts are looking at possible post-COVID lung disease in those who recovered from the infection.