Your questions, answered "We are constantly reading about new side effects from covid-19. Among the concerns are autoimmune problems, dementia, lung and heart issues and 'long covid.' My question is, are multiple complications common from most illnesses such as the flu, pneumonia or maybe even a bad cold? Is it always a risk to catch an illness but that the risks of covid-19 are just so highly publicized?" — Victoria in Florida Scientists are still learning about covid-19 and possible conditions that may be associated with it. But you have the right idea — covid-19, the illness that is caused by the coronavirus, is not the only illness that has been linked to other medical problems down the road. Perhaps the most famous example is chickenpox, a highly contagious and common disease typically contracted in childhood and known for its itchy red rash, among other symptoms. After a person recovers from it, the virus that causes it, varicella-zoster virus (VZV), can lie dormant in the body for years and then reactivate, causing shingles, said Aaron Milstone, a pediatric infectious-disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Milstone said in very rare cases, measles, another disease most common in childhood, can lead to a fatal condition called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). The degenerative disease attacks the central nervous system — causing serious issues with muscle movement, memory and vision. Eventually, it starts to ravage the area in the brain that controls breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, ultimately leading to death, according to the National Library of Medicine. The Epstein-Barr virus, which can cause mononucleosis (or mono), has been associated with long-term fatigue. In fact, the Mayo Clinic notes that some researchers wonder whether certain viruses such as the Epstein-Barr virus might trigger myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, in some cases. No conclusive link has been found. And Lyme disease, which is caused by a bacteria transmitted through the bites of infected ticks, has been known to lead to arthritis and carditis (or inflammation of the heart). Milstone said there are even some viruses that may lead to certain cancers. For example, human papilloma virus (HPV) has been linked to cervical and other cancers, hepatitis B and C are major causes of liver cancer, hepatitis C is also associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and HIV can increase the risk of developing several cancers, according to the American Cancer Society. So yes: "We know there are other infectious diseases that can trigger diseases later on," Milstone said. But, he said, one important thing to remember with covid-19 is that there are certain outcomes that people may read about on social media or in the news, "but these outcomes may be rare given the sheer number of people in the world who have had covid." He said researchers need more time to determine the actual frequency of associated events with covid-19. | 
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