"Corona sequelae" that gradually spreads-Caution even if mild or asymptomatic-February 10 14:48
"I'm short of breath by brushing my teeth" "I can't even have a milk carton" ...
This is a voice sent to the first radio program "Tamio Miyake's My Asa!" (6: 40-8: 30 on weekdays) by people suffering from symptoms that appear to be the aftereffects of the new coronavirus infection.
Symptoms such as not knowing the smell and taste are relatively known as sequelae, but the reality is that many of them are still unknown.
From the voices sent to the program, we can see that they are suffering from "abnormal malaise" and "depression" for a long period of time.
(Radio Center Program Desk Director Masato Miyoshi)
The actual situation of "corona sequelae" suffering unknowingly
"I barely brush my teeth in the bathroom and shower once every few days. I had to use scissors to cut my hair at home because it was so difficult to wash my hair. Even brushing my teeth was short of breath, painful and most of the time. I'm spending time in bed "
This is an email sent by a woman in her 30s in Tokyo.
Symptoms of the new corona infection were mild, and the symptoms subsided in about 15 days.
He said, "I have to do my best because I have healed." He took a walk and abdominal muscles to recover his work and physical strength, and a few days later, he suffered from abnormal malaise and muscle aches and collapsed.
The feeling of malaise does not mean that you are tired from work, but that you are almost bedridden now, in a state where your body has become lead and you are being held down from above. is.
"I continue to feel like I'm carrying lead and sinking into a swamp. That's why I've been bedridden for eight months. I can't even carry a milk carton because of severe pain."
Women in their 50s in Osaka are also suffering from malaise.
I wrote in the email that it seems to "carry lead and sink into the swamp."
He has been bedridden for eight months and is complaining of severe pain that he cannot even carry a milk carton.
Women's suffering is not limited to physical symptoms.
It is said that he lost his job as a contract employee due to the symptoms that seemed to be aftereffects.
It is treated like a mental illness and is said to "just arouse fear."
In the field of treatment
Many people in the program said, "Where should I consult?" And "I don't know which hospital will see me" about the symptoms that seem to be aftereffects.
Symptoms that appear to be aftereffects of corona include dullness, low-grade fever, respiratory distress, muscle aches, olfactory and taste disorders, decreased motivation, and hair loss, but the current situation is that there are few medical institutions that support them.
There is a clinic in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo that has seen more than 800 people suffering from symptoms that appear to be sequelae.
Dr. Koichi Hirahata, the director of "Hirahata Clinic", opened the "New Corona Sequelae Outpatient Department" in March last year, and treats patients nationwide by going to the hospital or online.
Dr. Hirahata:
"At first, some of the patients who went to the hospital complained of low-grade fever and dullness, and some of them had long-term symptoms. After investigating, I came to the conclusion that it was a sequela of corona, and even after that. As I accepted many patients, I felt the need for a specialized outpatient clinic. "
Of the more than 800 people examined so far, 475 have been analyzed in detail as of January 14.
With multiple answers, 95% answered "malaise", 86% answered "depressed mood", 83% answered "decreased thinking ability", 75% answered "suffocation", 50% answered "hair loss", and "dysgeusia (taste disorder). I don't feel the taste) ”was 30%.
In addition, about one-third of the total is almost bedridden, with "more than half of the week resting at home."
"It has spread to young people"
Now, Dr. Hirahata says that he is examining about 60 to 90 patients who seem to have sequelae a day.
It's more than double last fall.
I wonder what we are seeing as the infection spreads rapidly.
Dr. Hirahata
"The largest number of patients undergoing medical examinations is in their 40s. I have the impression that the number of patients in their teens to 30s has increased considerably, and the number of young people has increased."
Until now, it was a warning to "young people" who were said to be less likely to become severely infected.
And even those who were asymptomatic began to see the horror of having sequelae later.
Dr. Hirahata:
"Severity at the time of corona infection" and "severity of sequelae" do not match at all. Symptoms (of sequelae) often appear even if they are mild or asymptomatic. Very often, it's much more scary after that than the severity of the symptom. "It's okay to take it because you're young."
Now of investigation and research of "corona sequelae"
Regarding the sequelae of corona, a research group at the National Center for Global Health and Medicine published the results of an epidemiological survey last October.
We asked 63 patients (mean age 48 years) who were discharged from the National Center for Global Health and Medicine from February to June last year for any symptoms after recovery.
According to Dr. Shinichiro Morioka of the research group, symptoms such as coughing, tan, dullness, respiratory distress, olfactory dysfunction, and dysgeusia were seen in 48% of people two months after the onset.
Even after four months, 27% of people had some sequelae.
Dr. Morioka
"It was more than we thought, and we got the result that hair loss was also seen in 1 in 4 people."
According to Dr. Morioka, investigations are underway not only in Japan but also in other countries, and so far, in the world's papers, the symptoms that appear to be sequelae are "female," "elderly," "highly obese," and "many at the time of infection." It is often seen in "people who have complained of symptoms".
Dr. Morioka
"There is no cure for sequelae so far, and there is no choice but to relieve the symptoms with symptomatic treatment. It takes about half a year to get rid of it."
Since the aftereffects are often unknown, the research group plans to conduct a follow-up survey of approximately 350 to 400 patients from March of this year.
At that time, we would like to investigate the degree of medical conditions such as "how short of breath" and the degree of influence on daily life, which will lead to the elucidation of the pathological condition and the development of treatment methods.
The cure is "groping"
Dr. Hirahata, who has accepted many patients, is working on various symptomatic treatments while groping.
Dr. Hirahata
"I am trying to improve by prescribing supplements and Kampo. For patients who complain of malaise and decreased thinking and concentration, even just using Kampo, which has a warming effect, makes me feel uncomfortable. May be reduced. "
"Social awareness" is also a problem
As I proceeded with the interviews on the aftereffects, in addition to the seriousness of the symptoms, various problems became apparent.
It means that the new Corona suffers mental damage because it is not widely known that it has "sequelae".
Dr. Hirahata points out that "the current situation is that the sequelae of the new coronavirus are not yet recognized by society."
Dr. Hirahata:
"I have to quit my job because my workplace said,'The medical treatment period is over and the PCR test is negative, so it should be cured.'" "Show me the" grounds "that I can't move." Some people say that they are gone. "
" My family has rebuked me for "I'm sleeping forever and I'm lazy," and I'm forced into a situation where I can't escape. Just like any other person, I think myself. Some people are mentally depressed because of their immobility and develop depression and anxiety disorders. "
The program also received such a voice.
A woman in her thirties who lived in Tokyo as a sister until the end of March last year became ill during the first wave, but she could not undergo the PCR test and could not work or do household chores due to symptoms that seemed to be sequelae. , I have returned to my parents' house in Ishikawa prefecture and am living a recuperative life.
"Even when I go to the hospital, I don't know if it's corona, right?", And all the words I don't mind. Especially in rural areas, there are few patients suffering from sequelae, and I feel that recognition is not progressing.
Similarly, there was a serious complaint from a woman in her 50s living in Shizuoka prefecture who was not able to undergo the test in the first wave.
"At the hospital, people laugh at me as having no sequelae and say," I can't see you here. "What happens to people who haven't been tested? I'm anxious about my future life. I'm thinking about death. "
Dr. Hirahata also points out that one of the challenges is that even doctors are not fully aware of the aftereffects.
Dr. Hirahata
"There are many things that we still don't know, and not all doctors have sufficient knowledge. In many cases, blood tests do not catch anything, so I think there are some things that make it difficult. As a result, "You are healthy because nothing is wrong" and "You have a mental illness", and the patient feels pushed out. "
Dr. Hirahata and Dr. Morioka of the Center for Global Health and Medicine also say that it is important to consult with a reliable "family doctor" first.
If you do not have a family doctor, you should go to "otolaryngology" for taste and smell, and "respiratory department" for shortness of breath.
For the future corona society
From now on, we must also look at the aftereffects.
Research on sequelae is being carried out every day in various countries including Japan.
I hope that a cure for sequelae will be established as soon as possible, but on the other hand, I will interview that the protracted symptoms of sequelae should not lead to loss of the person's life and dignity. I felt through.
I think it is now required for society as a whole to understand and face the aftereffects.
Radio Center
Masato Miyoshi
"My Asa!" Desk Director
Joined in 2001 After working at Akita station, Sapporo station, announcement room, etc., currently belongs