Iron deficiency and postcovid syndrome: a clinical case

Abstract

Postcovid syndrome is a serious public health problem affecting millions of people worldwide. There is a growing body of evidence that people may exhibit symptoms after organ damage developed during the acute phase of COVID‑19, while others experience new symptoms after a mild infection, without any evidence of acquired organ or tissue damage. In this regard, understanding the determinants and regulators of COVID‑19 and postcovid syndrome pathology is an important clinical challenge that will enable better management of future variants and pandemic waves. There is presumably a close relationship between iron homeostasis, COVID‑19, and postcovid syndrome, the pathogenetic aspects of which have yet to be determined. Nevertheless, the available literature already indicates that iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia (without inflammatory anemia) in patients with postcovid syndrome occur in 30% and 9% of cases, respectively. Given the importance and urgency of this problem and the fact that one in three patients with postcovid syndrome may have iron deficiency, this article presents a case from clinical practice in which a patient with postcovid syndrome was found to have iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia, and treatment of this condition and disease resulted in improvement in general well-being and regression of symptoms. Thus, the effects of COVID‑19 on iron metabolism exist, and they can be corrected. The use of oral iron preparations, in particular iron sulfate, allows optimal therapeutic and clinical effects in this clinical situation along with a good tolerability and safety profile.