"Unimaginable Pain... Near-Death Crisis" Recovered Patient Complains of Severe Aftereffects

Citizens undergoing testing for the novel coronavirus infection at a public health center. The photo is unrelated to the article content. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] As recovered patients from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) report various aftereffects, a recovered patient who was confirmed positive after arriving from Turkey in early April complained of severe hair loss.

The recovered patient, Lee Jeong-hwan (25), appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' on the 24th and stated, "About a month after being hospitalized, so much hair was falling out that it was clogging the drain and causing poor drainage."

Lee said, "Since a lot of hair has been falling out from May to August, I was anxious and visited a dermatologist," adding, "I was told it was M-shaped hair loss, and I am currently continuing to use hair loss medication applied to the roots."

He said, "When I went to Korea University to donate plasma, I asked an infectious disease professor, who said he had not seen any research directly linking COVID-19 and hair loss," but added, "However, I was told that hair loss could occur due to stress caused by COVID-19."

Lee emphasized the need for vigilance, saying he suffered tremendous pain when infected with COVID-19.

He said, "It caused such severe pain that I could not sleep even for an hour a day. It was unimaginably painful," and added, "So I hope many people, seeing cases like mine, will be more cautious by wearing masks properly and washing their hands well."

Regarding some citizens violating quarantine guidelines, he said, "As someone who has experienced it once, I feel sorry," and added, "It saddens me to see the daily lives of the entire nation being disrupted because of some people."

On some confirmed patients claiming to have no significant pain, he pointed out, "It may be because it is early and they are asymptomatic, but the situation can quickly change to symptomatic, with life and death hanging in the balance," and said, "I think it is better not to make such hasty statements."

He continued, "When I hear conspiracy theories that COVID-19 is exaggerated, I find it very absurd," adding, "I went through a life-threatening crisis that was so painful I felt like I almost met the Grim Reaper."

Lee also stressed the importance of wearing masks.

He explained, "In my case, it is presumed that I was infected on the way back home while wearing a mask and latex gloves," and said, "Even if you diligently follow quarantine measures, anyone can get infected, so I think it is more dangerous not to wear a mask."

He emphasized, "I believe it is important to wear masks properly to reduce the number of confirmed cases."

Meanwhile, Park Hyun, an adjunct professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Pusan National University, also complained of aftereffects such as chest and body pain, memory decline, and skin discoloration for five months after recovering from COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.