How Specialized Clinics Are Trying to Help COVID-19 Long-Haulers
Researchers are continually gaining more knowledge about COVID-19 and how it manifests in different people. One trend that is becoming more prevalent is the presence of so-called COVID long-haulers, or patients who experience new or persistent symptoms for four weeks or more past the time the initial infection resolved. Though a large portion of people who contract COVID-19 seem to recover within a few days or weeks, an estimated 10 percent to 30 percent of patients experience symptoms for much longer. Now, these COVID long-haulers are looking for answers and turning to their doctors for treatment.
Treating Long-Haul COVID
Around the world, clinics are beginning to pop up that are dedicated to treating patients with the lingering after-effects of COVID-19. Experiencing a range of symptoms, many of these individuals are still struggling with recovery for months, even up to a full year after the initial infection cleared. But despite the huge numbers of people now reporting these types of symptoms (more than 8 million in the United States alone), very little is known about the condition and how to treat it. COVID long-haulers report more than 100 different symptoms ranging from chronic and debilitating fatigue and shortness of breath to hair loss. Even the type of patient is not consistent—long-haulers include men and women of all different ages, and while some were hospitalized during their original COVID-19 infection, others have reported only mild symptoms.
Types of Treatment
The treatments for COVID long-haulers currently do not follow a standard. Patients are trying everything from mindfulness techniques, to common allergy medications, to speech and physical therapy, to even eating oranges. Some experts theorize that eating oranges may provide a vitamin C boost or that the juice could help with clearing congestion; whatever the cause, eating oranges seems to help some patients.
More Research
Research into long-haulers has been slow, but with more patients emerging with sometimes severe symptoms, it is time to try and understand the cause. Some early research indicates that long-haul patients may have trouble with their autonomic nervous system, a body system that regulates things your body takes care of automatically (for example, constricting blood vessels), but the range in symptoms is still baffling. Patients experience brain fog, extreme fatigue, irregular heartbeats, trouble breathing, and more. Hopefully, we will soon understand this condition more fully.