+ People infected by COVID-19 experience long-term conditions even after recovery, known as “long COVID.”
+ There is limited information on long COVID in the Philippines, but one study shows around 80% of its participants have developed the condition.
+ The Philippine Genome Center, which played an important role in studying the COVID-19 variants in the country, has learned lessons to prepare the country for another pandemic.
Metro Manila, Philippines – The COVID-19 pandemic has ended, with society operating in somewhat normal conditions… but not for Pia Andrea Saez, who felt the disease altered her health years after.
Saez, now 31, was hit with a severe critical infection of COVID-19, and hospitalized for nearly two months at the height of the pandemic in 2020.
“Nag-follow-up checkup ako, I have scars sa lungs ko,” she told NewsWatch Plus. “Nararamdaman ko pa rin ‘yong tindi ng effect ng COVID-19 sa akin.”
[Translation: I had a follow-up check-up and there were scars on my lungs. I still feel the effects of COVID-19.]
Saez did not contract COVID-19 anew as she put herself into self-quarantine after her hospitalization.
But after her bout with the coronavirus, she said she would easily catch a fever after getting drenched with rain. She would get tired quickly. Weight loss was also a struggle. Memory loss became a problem as well.
“Siguro other people don’t know that COVID-19’s recovery does not stop dun sa quarantine, it will take a long time talaga,” Saez said.
[Translation: Maybe other people don’t know that recovery from COVID-19 does not stop in quarantine. It will take a long time.]
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