According to a 2021 study, long COVID-19 has affected as many as a third of people infected by the COVID-19 virus. Not only can long COVID-19 be serious, but failing to stay on top of preventative healthcare and preventative health scans can negatively affect your health and well-being.
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Why Is Preventative Healthcare Important After COVID-19?
The importance of preventative healthcare after COVID-19 cannot be understated because anyone who has been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (whether they know it or not) is at risk of developing long COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Because you can be reinfected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus multiple times and every new infection risks long-term COVID-19, regular health screenings post-COVID-19 recovery are key to maintaining your health and wellness.
The best preventative health measures after the pandemic will be ensuring you see your doctor regularly so they can check for signs of infection, chronic conditions, and other health issues.
What Are The Benefits Of Staying On Top Of Your Health After The Pandemic?
The CDC notes that healthy choices such as staying on top of preventative care can prevent you from developing chronic conditions.
Why preventative care is vital after the COVID-19 pandemic:
- To monitor underlying conditions that are also risk factors for severe COVID-19, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease
- Preventative care decreases your risk of severe illness from respiratory infections such as COVID-19
- Immunizations reduce the risk of severe COVID-19 and long COVID-19
What Types Of Preventative Health Screenings Are Recommended After Covid-19?
According to the CDC, preventive care aims to keep you healthy and catch health problems when they are the most treatable. Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is contained, and you can safely go back to seeing primary care physicians, staying on top of preventive health screenings you may be behind on is crucial.
How to maintain health after recovering from COVID-19:
- Annual physical examinations
- Screening tests such as checking your blood pressure and checking your blood to monitor your cholesterol and blood sugar
- Vaccinations
- Cancer screenings
- Dental cleanings
- Professional medical evaluations of your results to stay informed about your healthcare decisions
What Specific Health Risks Should Be Monitored After Recovering From Covid-19?
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, SARS-CoV-2 can invade the body in several ways, causing damage to vital organs such as:
- The lungs: Even in those without a severe infection, COVID-19 can cause prolonged shortness of breath. In some cases, it is bad enough to require breathing exercises to get back to normal function. In severe cases, long COVID-19 can cause scarring in the lungs and other issues that can be permanent.
- The heart: SARS-CoV-2 can cause inflammation in the heart muscle. One study found that this can be the case for up to 60% of people who recover from the virus, regardless of whether or not a heart condition was present before infection or the severity of the infection. Ongoing heart inflammation can cause:
- Shortness of breath
- Heart palpitations
- Rapid heartbeat
- The kidneys: Damage to the kidneys is possible and increases your risk of long-term kidney issues and the need for dialysis treatment.
- Neurological and cognitive problems: The cause of neurological issues are still being studied, but many long COVID-19 sufferers experience issues with their cognitive function, such as:
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Trouble concentrating
- Issues with memory and speech
How Has Covid-19 Impacted People’s Approach To Regular Healthcare?
According to a study published in 2022 by the National Library of Medicine, the amount of patients receiving preventative care and other elective services has severely declined since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the utilization of “telemedicine,” this decline remains significant.
What Long-Term Effects of COVID-19 Can Be Mitigated With Preventative Care?
The CDC recommends preventative healthcare measures to reduce both the spread of COVID-19 and severe illness caused by the virus itself, such as:
- Staying on top of your COVID-19 vaccinations
- Practicing effective hygiene and clean air practices
- Seeking healthcare services such as testing and treatment immediately when experiencing respiratory symptoms
- Taking safety measures to not spread respiratory infections
Are There Any Special Considerations For Seniors Or Those With Chronic Conditions Post-Covid?
Considering that several chronic conditions increase the severity of COVID-19 infections, according to the CDC, remaining healthy by utilizing preventative care has never been more important for those with chronic conditions. According to the National Council on Aging, seniors are also more likely to experience long COVID-19 due to decreased immunity with age, increased instances of chronic conditions, and increased levels of inflammation.
How Can Individuals Integrate Preventative Care Into Their Routine Post-Pandemic?
- Be aware of what preventative services you are entitled to under your health plan
- Make a habit of seeing your primary healthcare provider for a checkup annually
- Make a checklist of appointments you should be going to regularly, such as the dentist, specialists for cancer screenings, phlebotomist for lab work, and getting vaccinations your doctor recommends
- Consider a CT scan
What Is A Preventative Scan?
As the name suggests, a preventative health scan is a scan that is done to check the status of vital organs, tissues, bones, etc., in hopes of catching any issues before they can potentially become problems.
A preventative medical scan can be done even when the patient is not experiencing any symptoms. According to the National Cancer Institute (NIH), a CT scan is a noninvasive diagnostic scan that uses X-ray images to get detailed pictures of the inside of the body.
Preventative healthcare can be even more important now that the COVID-19 virus has become part of everyday life. If you’re searching for a “preventative medical scan near me,” check out Preventative Diagnostic Center. Here, you will find various low-dose CT scans for peace of mind.
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Sources:
Are You Up to Date on Your Preventive Care? (2024).
Cantor, J. (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and policy response on health care utilization: Evidence from county-level medical claims and cellphone data.
Computed Tomography (CT) Scans and Cancer. (2024).
Hacker, K. (2021). An Ounce of Prevention Is Still Worth a Pound of Cure, Especially in the Time of COVID-19.
Long COVID Basics. (2024).
Long COVID: Long-Term Effects of COVID-19. (2022).
O’Dowd, A. (2021). Covid-19: Third of people infected have long term symptoms.
