Belize City, Mon. Nov. 2, 2021 — Data collected by several global health institutions is indicating that COVID-19 possibly does have long-term effects. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has also stated on its website that “Some people who had severe illness with COVID-19 experience multiorgan effects or autoimmune conditions over a longer time with symptoms lasting weeks or months after COVID-19 illness. Multiorgan effects can affect many, if not all, body systems, including heart, lung, kidney, skin, and brain functions. Autoimmune conditions happen when your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (swelling) or tissue damage in the affected parts of the body”.

Last week the Belize Medical and Dental Association (BMDA) affirmed some of these findings during their 37th Annual Medical Congress and went further to discuss some far-reaching effects the virus has had on Belizeans. During the forum, medical personnel also discussed potential threats that face even those who recover from the virus. In Belize, doctors are also taking note of the fatality and hospitalization rates among infected persons who have “underlying conditions” or other chronic diseases, such as cancer, hypertension and asthma, that may become compounded by the effects of the virus. According to BMDA president, Dr. Uldine Wright, reports from the Ministry of Health and Wellness via Epidemiologist Antonio Hegar suggest that persons who contract the virus while living with underlying conditions are 5.82% more likely to be hospitalized.

The BMDA also looked at COVID-19 fatalities in relation to Body Mass Index (BMI). Their findings suggest that those who are obese or overweight (those who have a BMI of 25 or higher) are at a higher risk of losing their lives or being hospitalized due to Covid-19. Age was also factored into the BMDA’s research, and they noted a higher morbidity rate among unvaccinated Belizeans above the age of fifty-three and vaccinated Belizeans above the age of sixty. Notably, the Ministry of Health and Wellness has launched its booster shot campaign, through which persons over the age of sixty and those living with co-morbidities will be receiving a third jab of the vaccine.

In reference to the long-term effects of Covid-19, Dr. Wright indicated that Covid-19 can also lead to psychiatric conditions in recovered patients due to a mutation of chemicals in the brain and body. These chemical changes also result in various skin conditions, including rashes and bumps.

These factors and more have been evaluated, and the findings are being shared by the BMDA to educate the public on the dangers of the virus. Dr. Wright said that at this time the vaccines seem to be the best way to safeguard oneself from the effects of the virus, as fully vaccinated persons have a 35% lower death rate and a 60% lower hospitalization rate than those who are unvaccinated.