Dr. Fauci Warns Senate of New COVID Symptoms

Fever, shortness of breath, loss of sense of smell and taste, dry cough—these are the most widely known symptoms of COVID-19. While some individuals experience them at the start of an infection, others remain completely asymptomatic—but that doesn't necessarily mean that the virus isn't ravaging their health. On Wednesday morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Stephen Hahn, director of the Food and Drug Administration, and Adm. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary of health, all testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. During the hearing, Dr. Fauci revealed that many coronavirus survivors are not making a rapid recovery, and instead, are dealing with long-term damage wreaked by the virus. Read on, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.

COVID-19 Can Cause Long-Term Damage

"I bring to your attention the fact that a number of individuals who virologically have recovered from infection in fact have persistence measured in weeks to months of symptomatology that does not appear to be due to persistent of the virus," he said. "They're referred to as long haulers."

He continued to describe the frightening symptoms they experience. "They have:

Fatigue
Myalgia
Fever
And involvement of the neurological system
as well as cognitive abnormalities, such as the inability to concentrate," he said.

A Number of Patients Have Heart Issues, as Well

He also discussed the heart problems that many are experiencing, reiterating what he said during an interview with the BMJ.

"We found to our dismay that a number of individuals who have completely recovered and apparently are asymptomatic, when they have sensitive imaging technologies, such as magnetic resonance, imaging, or MRI, have found to have a disturbing number of individuals who have inflammation of the heart," he said.

He pointed out that all of this information is a reminder that the pandemic is not under control, and that we still don't fully understand COVID-19.

"These are the kinds of things that tell us, we must be humble and that we do not completely understand the nature of this illness," he said.

If you experience any "long-hauler" or heart issues, contact your medical professional immediately. And to keep yourself free from COVID-19, do as Dr. Fauci advises: wear a mask, avoid crowds, wash your hands and don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.