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Citation
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Vingilis E, Johnson J, Rapoport MJ, Beirness DJ, Boase P, Byrne PA, Jonah BA, Mann RE, Seeley J, Wickens CM, Wiesenthal DL. Accid. Anal. Prev. 2021; 149: e105712. |
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Abstract
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A Short Communication was recently published on Coronavirus Disease 2019: What Could Be the Effects on Road Safety? (Vingilis et al., 2020). However, we would be remiss in not identifying one additional COVID-19 person factor for road safety professionals to consider - the possible effects of the illness itself on the driver, driving and thus, road safety. Much is still unknown about the illness's effects on the human body; we are learning in real time (Rayner et al., 2020).
Initially, COVID-19 was thought to be a respiratory illness (COVID Symptom Study, 2020). However, current research has identified a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations for COVID-19 ranging from asymptomatic forms to severe viral pneumonia with respiratory failure, and multi-organ and systemic dysfunctions related to sepsis and septic shock that in some cases leads to death (COVID Symptom Study, 2020; Renu et al., 2020; Zaim et al., 2020). In addition to the malaise and respiratory, gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms regularly experienced by individuals with COVID-19 (COVID Symptom Study, 2020), the virus has been implicated in damage to lung, heart, kidney, liver, and brain (Hui and Zumla, 2019; Renu et al., 2020). Moreover, those with pre-existing comorbidities, such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular and renal diseases, have poorer prognosis (Renu et al., 2020; Zaim et al., 2020).
There are neither precedents nor current data about how many individuals and which domains of health will be affected by COVID-19 in the long-term. However, newly emerging research is suggesting that COVID-19 may have prolonged and debilitating effects on the health of many individuals who were admitted to hospitals, as well as those with milder symptoms who were not hospitalized (COVID Symptom Study, 2020; Grant, 2020; Mahase, 2020; Rayner et al., 2020). Curiously, individuals with mild cases have been found to be more likely to have a range of recurring symptoms over extended periods of time (COVID Symptom Study, 2020). Indeed, the term "long covid" is now being used to describe the illness in individuals who have either had the typical symptoms much longer than expected or who have "recovered" from COVID-19 but are still reporting lasting effects of the infection (Mahase, 2020).
Moreover, these symptoms are not uncommon. Carfi et al. (2020) followed 143 patients discharged from hospital after recovery from COVID-19 with mean length of hospital stay of 13.5 days. Follow-up period was a mean of 60.3 days after first COVID-19 symptom onset; only 12.6% were symptom free at follow-up while 32% had 1 or 2 symptoms and 55% had 3 or more. Symptoms for the majority of patients included fatigue, shortness of breath, cough, joint pain, muscle pain, headache, and loss of appetite...
Keywords: CoViD-19-Road-Traffic
Language: en |