Do you feel exhausted after a COVID-19 infection?

After surviving COVID-19, post-viral fatigue may occur, which is not only due to the infection itself. COVID-19 infection often reactivates other opportunistic infections that may persist long after the acute phase of the disease.

COVID-19 often Reactivates Opportunistic Infections

The most common opportunistic infections that can occur after a COVID-19 infection are:

  1. Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) – possible symptoms: Fatigue, exhaustion, fever, flu-like symptoms, nausea, loss of appetite, swelling of lymph nodes, redness of skin, sore throat, weakness, muscle inflammation.
  2. Cytomegalie-Virus (CMV) – possible symptoms: Tiredness, fatigue, fever, flu-like symptoms, swelling of lymph nodes, sore throat, enlarged spleen.
  3. Herpes Simplex Virus 1/2 (HSV 1/2) – possible symptoms: Tiredness, fatigue, skin or mucous membrane blisters on mouth, lips, genitals, anus, flu-like symptoms (fever, muscle pain, swelling of lymph nodes), problems urinating, herpes keratitis (pain, sensitivity to light, flashes of light).
  4. Varizella-Zoster-Virus 1/2 (VZV) – possible symptoms: “Chickenpox” in young patients, “shingles” in adults: Blistering of the skin, fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache.
  5. Humanes-Herpes-Virus 6 (HHV6) – possible symptoms: Roseola infantum (three-day fever) with high fever and rash.
  6. Coxsackie-Virus – possible symptoms: Group A: Herpangina, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, hand-foot-and-mouth disease; Group B: myocarditis, pericarditis, pleurodynia, hepatitis; groups A and B: fatigue, exhaustion, fever, rash, rickets, diarrhea, cough, conjunctivitis, loss of appetite, headache, night sweats, sweats, aseptic meningitis.
  7. Chlamydia pneumoniae – possible symptoms: Fatigue, exhaustion, cough, mild sore throat, hoarseness, sinusitis, atypical pneumonia, meningoencephalitis, bronchiolitis obliterans, myocarditis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, arthritis, tenovaginitis.
  8. Mycoplasma pneumoniae – possible symptoms: Fatigue, exhaustion, fever, joint pain, joint swelling, muscle pain, headache, insomnia, anxiety, emotional instability, difficulty concentrating, memory loss.

In addition to the opportunistic infection parameters, the diverse symptoms mentioned can also have various other causes. Persistent pulmonary or cardiac symptoms may also occur and require further evaluation.

In our Clinicum, we offer comprehensive diagnostics to rule out other diseases. We specialize in the examination of various laboratory parameters which allow a differential diagnosis to other causes.

Immunological Diagnostics at Clinicum St. Georg

  1. Fluorescent microscope examination for microclot and endotel damage
  2. Immune profile – examination of the TH1/TH2 immune response using natural killer cells and immunoglobulins IgG/IgA/IgM and their subclasses.
  3. Cytokine profile – inflammatory marker TNF-alpha and interleukin-6 in patients with neurological symptoms.
    ANCA titre     for the determination of autoantibodies in vasculitis or sinusitis and polyneuropathies, as part of additional infection diagnostics.
    T-cell test     to assess the persistence of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen and the sustained immune response.

Cardiologic Diagnostics

  1. NT-pro-BNP-marker for heart failure
  2. Troponin for the assessment of myocardial damage

Diagnostik in Internal Medicine

  1. CRP as a general marker for inflammation
  2. Cortisol