“Covid positive?”
I am a 73 y.o. retired male in pretty good health. I have a mild tricuspid insufficiency, h/o functional (not anatomical) MVP which comes and goes; h/o upper R lobe pneumonia; Symptoms of arthritis but neg on all tests; Bilateral carotid mild plaque; I also have other less relevant conditions; h/o pneumonia 13 & 23 vaccinations and I take 20 mg of atorvastatin OD. My mother has been informed that she has a genetic hyper clotting factor and should inform all her children.
In mid-March, I tested Covid positive. I felt awful but remained home w/o treatment or care and recovered. In mid-April I tested negative. I have been having lingering symptoms- fatigue, increased aches & pains (I had them before), intermittent very dry throat; some slight congestion; a mild intermittent feeling or irritation in my chest over my R bronchial and on the left-center which is sometimes sharp and which I associate with my heart valves. I just do not feel totally like myself and have just a bit more short-term memory difficulty, difficulty with sustained focus, and very slight mild headache.
I have three questions:
1. Does it sound like I have lingering (long-term) Covid sequalae?
2. Do I have immunity because I had the virus and if so how long might that last?
3. Should I get vaccinated with the J&J vaccine?
In mid-March, I tested Covid positive. I felt awful but remained home w/o treatment or care and recovered. In mid-April I tested negative. I have been having lingering symptoms- fatigue, increased aches & pains (I had them before), intermittent very dry throat; some slight congestion; a mild intermittent feeling or irritation in my chest over my R bronchial and on the left-center which is sometimes sharp and which I associate with my heart valves. I just do not feel totally like myself and have just a bit more short-term memory difficulty, difficulty with sustained focus, and very slight mild headache.
I have three questions:
1. Does it sound like I have lingering (long-term) Covid sequalae?
2. Do I have immunity because I had the virus and if so how long might that last?
3. Should I get vaccinated with the J&J vaccine?
Male | 73 years old
Complaint duration: 2 months
Medications: see above
Conditions: see paragraph above
1 Answer
Thanks for the questions. The post-COVID syndrome is being studied, and it is likely you do have it. You should see a specialist in Infectious Disease to be sure there is no other potential cause for your symptoms. About 65% of people with Covid will have immunity, but that does decrease with age over 65, so you should obtain one dose of the vaccine. I would recommend the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, as they have not been associated with clotting disorder. However, that is much less of a risk in men than in women.
