The initial outbreak of COVID-19 , the disease caused by the novel coronavirus , wreaked havoc on our societies by overwhelming healthcare systems while killing millions of people . For those who were infected and recovered , we assumed most would get on with their normal lives , like getting over a bad flu or cold .
But now more than a year into the pandemic , we know that survivors of COVID-19 can face debilitating and long-lasting illnesses , and not just in the elderly , but for people of any age , some of whom seemed to face minor or no symptoms at first . What this suggests is that , even when the pandemic is over , its ripple effects will be with us for a very long time .
In our cover story , we take a deep dive into these long-term consequences , a disparate mix of symptoms , such as breathlessness , fatigue , and exercise intolerance , that hasn ’ t been clearly defined yet but is now being referred to as “ long COVID ”.
One challenge for both doctors and patients is that many healthy and young people in their 20s , 30s , and 40s have suffered the same symptoms for months , but many doctors either haven ’ t taken them seriously or are simply not equipped to diagnose their underlying problems . It points to the larger issue of structural weaknesses in how the medical community treats chronic conditions that are hard to define with existing diagnostic labels .
In another feature , we report how COVID-19 can also cause a multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children weeks after exposure to the virus , with fever and organ inflammation as key problems . Though it ’ s treatable in its early stages , the condition is not always easy to diagnose because it can be mistaken for other fever-causing diseases .
Finally , we also cover a new generation of anticoagulants to prevent blood clots in a safer , cheaper , and less cumbersome way than standard medications like warfarin . Though they can ’ t be used in certain patients , the novel oral anticoagulants can offer protection against conditions like deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism without the need for regular blood tests .
Available across Asia , the Middle East and North America
Visit our website : www . GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com to download the digital version
Gabriele Bettinazzi Editor gabriele @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Founders Narender Panjwani & Thomas Masterson
Publisher & Managing Director Narender Panjwani narender @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Chief Executive Officer and President Varun Panjwani varun @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Editor Gabriele Bettinazzi gabriele @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Editorial Director ( Aesthetics ), Branding and Communication Manager Drishti Panjwani drishti @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Copy editor Martin Murphy Contributor Richard Whitehead Design Noel de Guzman / Artmazing !
Digital Marketing Strategist Parvither Preet Kaur Parvither @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Sales & Marketing Manager APAC SK Wong sk @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Business Development Manager , APAC Wisal Abughalia wisal @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Sales Assistants Nona Jamal , Remona Matilda Dass
Canada Office Anjika Sabhani anjika @ globalhealthandtravel . com
Kishor Sabhani kishor @ globalhealthandtravel . com 900 Rice Road , Edmonton T6R 1A2 , Alberta Canada , Tel . 1-780-4999011
Dubai Office Anil Dadlani Anil @ leouae . com 2207 Regal Tower , Business Bay , PO BOX 126161 , Dubai , UAE Tel . 97150-2149000
India Office Surbhi Pandit Surbhi @ globalhealthandtravel . com A-27 , South Extension , Part 2 , New Delhi , 110049
Malaysia Office GHT Malaysia Sdn Bhd Level 18 , WeWork , Plaza Equatorial , Jalan Sultan Ismail , 50250 Kuala Lumpur
Singapore Office Narender Panjwani Narender @ globalhealthandtravel . com 1 Kim Seng Promenade , # 11-01 Great World City Office , East Tower Singapore 237994
Printed by : Times Offset ( Malaysia ) Sdn Bhd ( 194695-W )
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Global Health Asia-Pacific is a licensed trademark of HealthFYX Pte Ltd .
All rights reserved . No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means , electronic or mechanical , including photocopy , recording or any information storage and retrieval system , without the written permission of the Publisher .
Global Health Asia-Pacific is a publication of HealthFYX Pte Ltd . 1 Kim Seng Promenade # 11-01 Great World City Office East Tower , SINGAPORE 237994
For circulation enquiries please contact narender @ globalhealthandtravel . com or call + 65 8126 2615
6 JUNE 2021 GlobalHealthAsiaPacific . com