KANSAS CITY, Mo. — While many initially believed being young and healthy would prevent any serious or lingering COVID-19 side effects, doctors now say that may not always be the case.
University of Kansas Health System doctors addressed the topic in their Tuesday morning media call.
With the delta variant of the virus spreading through the Kansas City area, a greater number of patients that are being treated at the health system are young and were previously healthy.
"I also have some very young patients in their 20s and 30s with no underlying conditions who got COVID-19 early on who now have long-hauler syndrome, and it's been terrible," University of Kansas Health System Dr. Micholee Polsak said during Tuesday's call. "I have one young patient who had to quit her job. She even had to hire someone else to take care of kids because she simply could not do it."
Long-hauler syndrome is the name doctors have given the lasting effects of COVID-19, which attacks multiple organs and has varying effects on each person.
"It's just, it's really sad when people don't understand that this could happen to any of us. It's not just those who are really immunocompromised," Polsak said.
The KU doctors believe that because a COVID-19 vaccine protects against more serious disease, it will also protect against long-hauler syndrome.
They suggest getting tested right away if you display any symptoms, whether you are vaccinated or not.
