Five Years Later: What We Know About Long Covid

Summary

Chasing Life: Five Years Later – What We Know About Long Covid

Episode Release Date: March 18, 2025
Host: Dr. Sanjay Gupta
Podcast: Chasing Life by CNN

In this enlightening episode of Chasing Life, host Dr. Sanjay Gupta delves deep into the enduring impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, five years after its declaration by the World Health Organization. The episode primarily focuses on Long Covid, exploring its prevalence, symptoms, and ongoing societal discussions. Additionally, Dr. Gupta addresses listener concerns about the safety and necessity of conventional versus natural deodorants, providing clarity amidst widespread confusion.

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Understanding Long Covid

Introduction to Long Covid

Dr. Gupta begins by addressing a timely question from Candy in Oregon, inquiring about the statistics of individuals experiencing persistent breathing problems post-COVID-19 infection (00:26). He defines Long Covid as a set of symptoms that linger for at least three months following the initial infection, though for some, symptoms persist for six months or longer.

Prevalence and Symptoms

Drawing from survey data, Dr. Gupta reveals that approximately 30% of COVID-19 infections result in Long Covid (00:48). This figure has remained consistent over the past five years. Among those experiencing Long Covid, up to 40% report persistent breathing issues, which range from mild exercise intolerance to severe difficulty in performing daily activities without breathlessness. Dr. Gupta emphasizes that symptoms extend beyond breathing problems, including fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, sleep disturbances, and persistent loss of taste and smell.

Risk Factors and Societal Awareness

He notes a correlation between the severity of the initial COVID-19 illness and the likelihood of developing Long Covid. Individuals with underlying conditions, immune compromises, or those over 65 are at higher risk. However, Long Covid also affects young and previously healthy individuals. Dr. Gupta expresses concern over the lack of widespread societal discussion about Long Covid, advocating for increased awareness and understanding of this new disease class.

Management and Prevention

Addressing management strategies, Dr. Gupta highlights the benefits of breathing exercises in restoring lung capacity and mitigating some of the persistent symptoms. He also warns against reinfection, explaining that subsequent COVID-19 infections can lead to exponential increases in lung scarring and tissue thickening, exacerbating breathing difficulties (04:30).

Notable Quote:

"Even if you don't have some of the classic symptoms of long Covid, other conditions like migraines or lung disease can be worsened by a COVID infection." – Dr. Sanjay Gupta (03:15)

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The Deodorant Dilemma: Conventional vs. Natural

Following the insightful discussion on Long Covid, Dr. Gupta transitions to another pressing listener concern: the safety and efficacy of conventional deodorants versus natural alternatives. This question is posed by Laura in Houston, Texas (07:29).

Distinguishing Deodorants and Antiperspirants

Dr. Gupta clarifies a common confusion by differentiating between deodorants and antiperspirants. Deodorants primarily target body odor by neutralizing skin bacteria and masking smells with fragrances, but they do not prevent sweating. Antiperspirants, on the other hand, contain aluminum salts that temporarily block sweat glands to reduce perspiration (08:14).

Health Concerns and Scientific Insights

Addressing widespread fears, Dr. Gupta discusses the alleged links between aluminum in antiperspirants and diseases such as breast cancer and Alzheimer's. He explains that extensive research has not established a direct causal relationship between antiperspirant use and these diseases. Major health organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the Alzheimer's Association, have reviewed available evidence and found no strong proof of increased disease risk from antiperspirant use (09:00).

Effectiveness of Natural Deodorants

Natural deodorants, which often use ingredients like baking soda, arrowroot powder, and essential oils, focus solely on odor control without preventing sweating. Dr. Gupta notes that their effectiveness varies based on individual body chemistry and personal preferences. While some users find them satisfactory, particularly those who do not sweat excessively, others may not achieve the desired level of odor control provided by conventional products (10:45).

Deodorant Necessity and Personal Choice

A pivotal point in the discussion is the necessity of deodorant use. Dr. Gupta reveals that sweat itself is odorless; the unpleasant smell arises from bacteria breaking down sweat on the skin. Therefore, individuals who sweat minimally or are comfortable with natural body odor may choose to forgo deodorant altogether. He shares an anecdote from Dr. James Hamblin, who experimented with minimal personal hygiene routines to discover what works best for his lifestyle (11:31).

Notable Quote:

"Wearing deodorant is not a necessity because sweat itself doesn't actually smell. The odor happens when bacteria breaks down the sweat on your skin." – Dr. Sanjay Gupta (10:30)

Conclusion on Deodorant Choices

Dr. Gupta concludes that the decision to switch to natural deodorants should be based on personal preference and individual needs rather than health fears. He advises listeners to consider the effectiveness, cost, and ingredients of the products when making their choice, emphasizing that there is no scientific imperative to switch for health reasons (12:19).

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Final Thoughts

In this episode, Dr. Sanjay Gupta effectively addresses two significant health concerns raised by listeners: the enduring challenges of Long Covid and the considerations surrounding deodorant use. By providing clear definitions, current statistics, and evidence-based insights, he empowers listeners to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

Call to Action:

Dr. Gupta encourages listeners to continue submitting their health questions for future episodes, fostering a community of informed and proactive individuals committed to chasing life with happiness and health at the forefront.

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Notable Contributions:

• Medical Insight: Dr. Sanjay Gupta
• Listener Questions: Candy from Oregon, Laura from Houston
• Expert Opinion: Dr. James Hamblin on personal hygiene practices

Production Team:

• Producers: Aaron Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, Lori Gallaretta, Jesse Remedios, Sofia Sanchez, Kira Dehring
• Medical Writer: Andrea Cain
• Senior Producer: Dan Bloom
• Showrunner: Amanda Seeley
• Technical Director: Dan Dezulla
• Executive Producer: Steve Lichti

Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Nadia Kunang of CNN Health and Katie Hinman.

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For those interested in further exploring the topics discussed, additional resources and episode links are available in the show notes. Stay informed, stay healthy, and keep chasing life.

Transcript

[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

Welcome to Paging Dr. Gupta. This is the podcast where your health questions become the conversation, they drive the conversation, and you've been sending in some great questions. So today we're diving into some interesting topics that you've sent our way. And one of our producers, Kira, who, by the way, is from the Midwest, like me, she has the first question ready, Kira?

[Kira]

Hey, Sanjay. So since Last week marked five years since the World Health Organization declared COVID 19 as a global pandemic, we've actually had a lot of listeners asking questions about COVID So this one's coming from Candy in Oregon, and she wants to know what are the stats for people who have had breathing problems long after having COVID 19?

[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

All right, Kira, thanks for bringing that one in. And it's a timely question for the reason you pointed out. It's been five years since we first declared Covid a pandemic. Okay, Candy, what you're describing is long Covid. You may remember in the beginning, it was referred to as long haulers, but it is long Covid, and it is an entirely new disease class driven by a novel virus, the COVID virus. The strict definition, long Covid are symptoms that persist at least three months after infection. For some people, they say at least six months. But, Candy, as you know, as I think you're alluding to, the symptoms can last years as well, and they can range from mild to severe. Some of these symptoms, like fatigue and brain fog and dizziness and sleep problems, we've heard a lot about those things, taste and smell issues as well, that can be something that lingers and has been more directly linked to Covid. So these are significant issues, and they can really interfere with. With someone's way of life. There does seem to be some correlation with the overall degree of illness initially and the likelihood of developing long Covid, meaning that if you were sicker, long Covid may be likelier. If you had some sort of underlying condition, including immune compromise or even older than the age of 65, long Covid might be more likely as well. But there were plenty of young people and plenty of people who had mild infections initially whose symptoms simply just didn't go away. So they have long Covid as well. And, you know, it's interesting because I don't think we talk about long Covid a lot. I talk about it on this podcast. I've done a lot of reporting on it. But interestingly, as a society, given that this is an entirely new disease class, we really haven't discussed long Covid a lot. And I think that should change, and hopefully it does change. You should also know that even if you don't have some of the classic symptoms of long Covid, what we're starting to learn is that if you had other conditions, such as migraines or lung disease or autoimmune disease or chronic kidney disease, some of those could be worsened as well by a COVID infection. Okay, so you could have developed brand new symptoms that you never had before or a worsening of existing symptoms. Now, Candy, to your question, let me give you some numbers. And this is based on survey data, which is only as good as how well people actually answer these surveys. But about 30% of COVID infections will result in long Covid, according to that survey data. In the latest survey, which was from mid August through mid September, about 30% of adults said that they had Covid symptoms lasting three months or longer. So this 30% number seems to be quite stable. It looked like it was 30% a couple of years into the pandemic. And now five years into the pandemic, 30% of people do seem to have these lingering symptoms. I will say that when it comes to breathing problems, specifically, if you take that 30%, up to 40% of them seem to have some sort of persistent breathing symptoms. And it could be, you know, simply becoming more exercise intolerant, not being able to exercise as long, two quite severe, not even being able to take a few steps without losing your breath. What seems to be happening, Candy, is that there is scarring or thickening of tissues in the lung after a COVID infection, and that probably is driving some of the symptoms that you're talking about. Now, I don't want to minimize this problem, and I don't want what I'm about to say to sound overly simplistic. But when you look at the data, really engaging diligently in breathing exercises seems to have benefit, not for everybody, but for a lot of people, it seems to allow them to return to baseline lung capacity and hopefully get them back to their way of life. So that's one thing. And the second thing, Candy, very important, do not get another infection, because the impact of that could be more exponential than linear. So you really compound the degree of that scarring or thickening of the lung tissue if you get another infection. So be careful. Thanks for sending in the question and let's keep going. Should you ditch your regular deodorant for a natural one? Amazing how many questions we got about this. We're gonna look at the facts right after the break.

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[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

All right, Kira, our next page is in. Who do we have?

[Kira]

All right, I can honestly say I've had this question myself as I've walked down the personal care aisle and it's coming from Laura in Houston, Texas. Take a listen.

[Laura]

Hi Dr. Gupta, this is Laura. I was wondering if you could address all of the potential issues surrounding deodorant. All of my friends have been switching the last few years to natural deodorant and I'm just wondering how concerned we should be about that. If it's more of a correlation or causation with that and cancer and if we should all be switching to deodorant or if it's just, you know, a little marketing scheme to get us paid $20 for a stick of deodorant. Thank you so much. I enjoy your podcast.

[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

All right, Laura, first of all, thanks for calling in. Thanks for being a listener of the podcast. I really appreciate it. Laura, let me start with a key distinction that you may know, but just to make sure I put it out there. Deodorants and antiperspirants. Oftentimes those terms are used interchangeably, but they're not completely the same thing. Think of it like this. Deodorants help with body odor by neutralizing bacteria on your skin and sometimes by adding fragrances to mask smells. But what they don't do necessarily is stop sweating. Antiperspirants go a step further. How do they do that? Well, they often contain aluminum salts, which will temporarily block sweat glands to reduce sweating. So many antiperspirants are deodorants as well. So, again, there's a lot of overlap there. But just in terms of getting the terminology correct, antiperspirants, which have these aluminum salts, typically versus deodorants. The reason I bring that up is because I think the big concern many people have had over the years is this idea that aluminum and antiperspirants could be linked to breast cancer or even Alzheimer's disease. Now, research on this is ongoing, but think about the type of research you have to do. You have to get thousands of people who use aluminum salt antiperspirants and compare them to people who don't, and then follow them for years to try and determine, is there some difference overall in the population of people who use these products versus those who don't. So the research is ongoing, but at this point, the studies have not found a direct link between antiperspirant use and these diseases. That's where we are right now. Big organizations look at that data and weigh in on it. So the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimer's association, they have reviewed that available evidence, and they also conclude that there's no strong proof that using antiperspirants increases your risk. So let's talk about these natural deodorants. They usually rely on ingredients like baking soda, arrowroot powder, essential oils, mainly to help with odor. Do they work? Well, you know, that depends. I think you have to ask the people who use it or the people around the people who use it. Again, they're not going to stop you from sweating because they don't contain those Aluminum salts are not antiperspirants specifically. So if you're someone who sweats a lot, you'll probably find that they're not going to be very effective for you. They're often marked as a healthier option. But again, there's no evidence that the conventional deodorants are harmful. So, you know, I'm not sure if you can necessarily make the claim that they are healthier if the thing you're comparing it to has not been shown to show any harm. I think a more fundamental question, interestingly, is, is deodorant necessary? Well, you know, wearing deodorant is not a necessity, of course, because did you know that sweat itself doesn't actually smell? It's not the sweat that smells. The odor actually happens when bacteria breaks down the sweat on your skin. So if you're someone who doesn't sweat much or doesn't mind natural body odor, you might not need deodorant at all. You know, this reminds me of a pretty interesting conversation I had at the beginning of the year on chasing life with Dr. James Hamblin. He's a doctor and he gave up showering entirely for a period of time.

[Dr. James Hamblin]

Well, I think part of the reason that people have kind of wild ideas about what is really necessary to health in terms of showering and cleaning ourselves is because it's one of the areas we're still very private about. And there's still a lot of stigma around, you know, people who are perceived to not do enough. And people have very strong ideas about what needs to be done, when and for what frequency and how long. But there are lots of different ways to do things correctly. I mean, I know a lot of people who don't use deodorant don't seem to need it. And so, you know, you learn that yourself if you. If you do what kinds work for you, how often you need to use it, how often you need to bathe, and how often you need to use soap and shampoo in that process. It's pretty much up to you. For me, it's very minimal.

[Dr. Sanjay Gupta]

If you're curious about that episode, check out the episode called One Doctor's Decision to Stop Showering. We'll link it in the show notes as well. So, Laura, back to you. Should you switch to a natural deodorant? That's entirely up to you. And now that you have some more data on it, you should make that decision. Figure out if it works for your budget as well. Sometimes it can be more expensive if you like the ingredients, if you like how they make you feel, go for it. Just know that the science does not necessarily sway you in one way or the direction that you have to make the switch for health reasons. Okay, that's it for today's episode. Keep those questions coming. I love to hear them. Record a voice memo, email it to asksanjayn.com or give us a call 470-396-0832. Leave a message. Thanks for listening. I'll be back next Tuesday. Chasing Life is a production of CNN Audio. Our podcast is produced by Aaron Mathewson, Jennifer Lai, Grace Walker, Lori Gallaretta, Jesse Remedios, Sofia Sanchez and Kira Dehring. Andrea Cain is our medical writer. Our senior producer is Dan Bloom. Amanda Seeley is our showrunner, Dan Dezulla is our technical director and the executive producer of CNN Audio is Steve Lichti, with support from Jamis Andrest, John Dionora, Hailey Thomas, Alex Manasseri, Robert Mathers, Lainey Steinhart, Nicole Pessarou and Lisa Namorow. Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Nadia Kunang of CNN Health and Katie Hinman.

[Sponsor Voice]

There's a reason the Sleep Number Smart Bed is the number one best bed for couples. It's because you can each choose what's right for you whenever you like. Firmer or softer on either side. Sleep Number does that one side cooler and the other side warmer. Sleep Number does that too. You have to feel it to believe it. Sleep better together. Why choose a Sleep Number Smart Bed? So you can choose your ideal comfort on either side. And now save 40% on the new Sleep Number Special edition Smart Bed, limited time, exclusively at a Sleep Number store near you. See store or sleepnumber.com for details.

[Kira]

This week on the Assignment With Me, Audie Cornish. Mass firings by Doge have affected people who clear trails, pick up trash, keep national parks running and, yes, the departments that fight against wildfire. So as we enter one of the busiest seasons for America's public parks and forests, what happens next? What are the potential consequences of having fewer people to watch out for or even fight wildfire? Listen to the Assignment with Me, Audie Cornish. Streaming now on your favorite podcast, Applied.