Almost 80% of people who have been exposed to the coronavirus need further examinations and tests, told the Bulgarian National Radio Director of the Bulgarian Cardiac Institute and Director of the Department of Cardiology at the Heart and Brain Hospital in Pleven Assoc. Prof. Yana Alexieva.

She explained that 1,600 patients have so far taken part in the free screening and treatment campaign, Life After Covid-19, for helping post-covid patients.

In her words, a Swiss national survey found that one in four recovered patients had post-covid syndrome. Of those who were hospitalized, 40% had complaints months after falling ill. Alexieva stated that such are the data for the hospital in Pleven.

Having in mind how many people in Bulgaria have been exposed to the virus, 125,000 patients are currently struggling with post symptoms, she said, adding that people who have been hospitalized are affected more frequently than others. However, the people who had a mild form of the disease were no exception, same as the young people who practiced sports.

Dr. Alexieva stressed that post-covid syndrome is associated with many different symptoms, and this is also very worrying.

"It affects the human body from head to toe. The patients complain of headache, hair loss, difficulty moving, inability to perform your previous duties, dizziness, impaired concentration, forgetfulness, brain fog, impaired hearing, palpitations, hypertension, cholesterol spike, sugar, metabolic disorders, problems with all other organs - pain in muscles and legs and back.

There are also cases of patients with a clinical picture of acute myocardial infarction," the medic explained. She also said that medical professionals do not know how to treat these patients because this type of infarction is different from other heart attacks.

Dr. Alexieva recommended interdisciplinary teams to work with the patients in question. According to her, there should also be a separate clinical path for the rehabilitation of patients with coronavirus. The proposals have already been sent to the Health Ministry.