jacksnsticks05 t1_iqo8ebl wrote on October 1, 2022 at 9:27 PM

Reply to comment by cearahn in Effect of COVID-19 Vaccines on Reducing the Risk of Long COVID by mightx

There are tests to see if you had previous infection, nucleocapsid Ab, or T cell assay... it is unclear how long these test remain positive / useful after infection.

You'd need to go to a doctor that is familiar with Long COVID, and get an evaluation. There are plenty of well known reasons to get these symptoms (particularly palpitations) and these need to be ruled out.

The near-universal feature of Long COVID symptoms is that they have no objective physical finding (similar to fibromyalgia and CFS), and they come in patterns and constellations. These are all syndromes - there are common or well known features, but there are subtle patterns, and associations/connections.

So you'd need to see a doctor that has become familiar with Long COVID... after ruling out the more dangerous or more well-described reasons for palpitations, they would ask about other symptoms that you are aren't thinking about. If the constellation appears... that's what it might be.

cearahn t1_iqoadkz wrote on October 1, 2022 at 9:42 PM

would those tests distinguish between a covid infection and prior immunization/vaccination?

thank you for the recommendations. I did go to a doctor, they did a lot of testing (EKG, blood work), didn't really find much except for a "boring, normal -ish" arrhythmia. they said I could do a holter monitor if I wanted to but I haven't yet. otherwise generally healthy so it really made me wonder. It is super interesting to me that it is more of a constellation type syndrome vs a diagnosis for long covid. That probably makes it much more challenging to quantify. If I continue having symptoms I will look into seeing a doctor familiar with long covid. Thank you!

jacksnsticks05 t1_iqocoq2 wrote on October 1, 2022 at 9:59 PM

The nucleocapsid Ab is different from the spike protein Ab, so those will distinguish infection from vaccination. The T cell test is not widely available.... so getting the test isn't likely to convince clinicians one way or another.

palpitations alone, in absence of other symptoms, is probably just palpitations. you'd rule out a more abnormal arrhythmia with a holter, and then carry on with live.

Long COVID as certainly a constellation of symptoms in a syndrome, and it falls into various constellations - neurologic, dysautonomia, chronic fatigue, etc. There is no "test" to diagnose it... similar to fibromyalgia, and several rheumatic diseases...

... such is the nature of medicine. Physicians take a medical history and run confirmatory tests sometimes. 90% of the diagnoses is made in the mind of the physician based on the story you tell, and your physical exam findings

diagnosing Long COVID is really no more challenging than diagnosing rheumatoid arthritis most of the time

(I actually find it odd that most people don't realize that what doctors do is use their mind to make a diagnosis on pattern recognition... (that 5 different kinds of arthritis look wildly different to them)... and they use tests to either narrow, confirm, or rule out)