Post Viral Syndrome

COVID-19 has had massive implications on our world. Every person on planet earth has been impacted in some way by this virus and the resulting ramifications. Thankfully, we know that most people who contract SARS-CoV2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, experience mild symptoms and are restored to health relatively quickly. However, some individuals experience ongoing symptoms. You may be surprised to know that post viral syndrome can result from other common viruses. Regardless of the virus, it is imperative to get to the root of what is causing on-going, chronic symptoms. If you have experienced COVID-19, or another virus that your body cannot seem to resolve, it is important to take a deeper look at why the body continues to struggle. This post will serve to begin a conversation at looking at post viral syndrome from a functional medicine perspective.

What is Post Viral Syndrome?

It has been established in the research as well as statistics from various health organizations that most individuals will recover from COVID-19 illnesses. Some, however, struggle with chronic symptoms and have a hard time regaining their health several weeks or months after a viral illness.  

As we mentioned, post viral syndrome, also known as long haulers syndrome, is not a new manifestation due to COVID-19 alone. While various aspects of COVID-19 and ‘long haulers’ syndrome have dominated the the news and cultural conversations, we would like to point out that viruses have triggered long haulers symptoms, autoimmune conditions, and chronic illness for a long time. Many viruses have been shown to elicit on-going symptoms and chronic fatigue including Epstein Barr Virus, SARS-COV1 virus, West Nile Virus, Human Herpes Virus 6, Human Parvovirus B19, H1N1, CMV, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis C, and many others. All of these viruses can also leave patients experiencing fatigue and other chronic symptoms. As we have seen with these other viruses, COVID-19 has the potential to trigger autoimmunity and chronic illness. As we continue to navigate COVID-19 it is important to understand that those experiencing post viral syndrome or “long haulers” share similar mechanisms with these other viruses that have been shown to contribute to chronic symptoms. 


The Loss of Taste and Smell

In recent months we have heard a lot about anosmia (loss of smell) and dysgeusia (distorted taste). Likely you know someone who has experienced this or perhaps you have yourself. Temporary anosmia is a common neurological symptom and an early indicator of COVID-19. Likewise, salivary glands can be affected early on by SARS-CoV-2 infection, resulting in salivary gland dysfunction, salivary flow impairment, and then dysgeusia. 

A neurologic nature has been suggested as a possible mechanism for both anosmia and dysgeusia because gustatory and olfactory functions are closely linked. Impairment of the olfactory system, from direct damage to cells in the olfactory epithelium can result in taste disturbance. Interestingly, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, a common topic of COVID-19 related discussion, are found in the olfactory epithelium. 

When discussing post viral syndrome and COVID-19, it is important to include these symptoms as anosmia and dysgeusia often linger for weeks or months after illness. This is indicative of resulting damage from COVID-19 and potential immune system impairment. Again, understanding the potential burdens on the immune system are important in resolving these symptoms. 

The Chronic Fatigue & Post Viral Syndrome Connection

Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a chronic illness that impacts many systems within the body. According to the CDC, it is estimated that 800,000 to 2.5 million Americans struggle with chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis. Interestingly, chronic fatigue syndrome and post viral syndrome mirror each other with many overlapping symptoms. Many “long haulers” and those who have succumbed to COVID-19 experience extreme fatigue and other symptoms in the ME/CFS family.

These symptoms include:

  • Debilitating Fatigue

  • Increased fatigue with physical, mental, or emotional activity

  • Sleep problems 

  • Impaired memory

  • Orthostatic intolerance-symptoms are worse in an upright position

  • Muscle pain, aches, weakness

  • Joint pain

  • Headaches, new or on-going

  • Sore throat

  • Shortness of breath

  • Chills and night sweats

  • Sensitivities to environmental factors such as foods, odors, chemicals, light, and noise

As you can see, many of these symptoms match those experienced by those who suffer post viral syndrome from COVID-19. A significant reason for these similarities is dysregulation of the immune system. As with most chronic conditions, there are often underlying, root cause factors that contribute to immune system dysregulation and the manifestation of continuing symptoms. Lets look at what some factors that drive immune system dysfunction.

Potential Underlying Factors for Immune System Dysregulation

Those who experience Post Viral Syndrome including anosmia, dysgeusia, symptoms that fall into the ME/CFS category, or other chronic symptoms often fall through the cracks because the conventional paradigm usually does not look at the underlying root causes that are impacting the immune system and contributing to symptoms. There are many factors that can drive any expression of chronic symptoms. Oftentimes there are multiple contributors that are unique to each individual who experiences these symptoms.

Some of these include:

  • Food allergies

  • Food sensitivities

  • Nutrient Deficiencies

  • Hormone Imbalances

  • Stress

  • Emotional trauma

  • Heavy metal toxicity

  • Chemical toxicity

  • Mold toxicity

  • Blood sugar imbalances

  • Chronic infections including virus, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic

  • Genetic variants 

Succumbing to post viral syndrome or any chronic condition, usually entails a complex compilation of these factors as someone walks through life. While each of these factors alone has the ability to trigger chronic symptoms, we have found that there are usually a number of them at play. Based on our understanding of comorbidities and other factors that make individuals more susceptible to COVID-19, it is likely that these underlying factors can also be contributing to post viral syndrome. For example, an individual may have an underlying heavy metal exposure from amalgam fillings, gluten sensitivity, and emotional trauma from their childhood. They are exposed to COVID-19 or another virus and succumb to viral illness. The immune system is unable to handle all of these burdens and fully mount an immune response to bring resolution to the body from the virus. As a result of the immune system burden, they experience fatigue and other symptoms for many months after the initial exposure. In order to bring true restoration to the body, all of the factors that are contributing to their immune system dysregulation must be addressed. At Restorative, we take great care to look at the whole person, being careful to uncover all of the underlying factors that may be contributing to their symptoms. The path forward in resolving post viral syndrome will be highly individualized and unique to the patient. 

Next Steps

COVID-19 and other viral illnesses not only can contribute to Post Viral Syndrome, but they can also act as the triggering event for autoimmune disease. We will delve into this topic in our next blog post. Until then, if you find yourself with lingering symptoms or the feeling that something isn’t quite right, do not write them off. Find a skilled clinician who will listen to you and help you figure out the root cause.

Ashley Turner