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Amy Watson has had a chronic fever for 344 days.
Almost a year after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the schoolteacher in Portland, Ore., Still suffers from persistent symptoms.
Besides the fever, Watson told Insider she still suffers from chronic fatigue, “ brain fog, ” severe migraines, gastrointestinal issues and severe body pain.
The 47-year-old, who had no underlying health condition before catching the virus, also developed tachycardia and says every time she takes a shower, her heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute.
“It’s really tough. I don’t want people to have to know from personal experience what this looks like,” Watson told Insider.
Watson is one of a growing group of long-time COVID, or so-called “ long-haul, ” victims whose bodies have been weakened by a virus of which little is known.
But now, specially designed long-haul post-recovery clinics are opening up across the country and offering people like Watson much-needed hope.
Post-COVID clinics offer a ‘centralized’ way to allow long-haul travelers to access care
According to a CDC study released this summer, about 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 will have symptoms that last longer than the usual two weeks.
Symptoms, which can range from a persistent cough to scarred lungs, affect not only people who have had to be hospitalized for COVID-19, but also those with milder cases.
Post-COVID Care Centers aim to bring together a team of experts from a wide range of specialties to address all the high-profile issues that long-haul travelers face, based on the latest knowledge about the disease.
One of the first clinics of this type was Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. It has treated 1,500 people since it opened in May.
Dr Ruwanthi Titao, a cardiologist who works at the clinic, told Insider: “The center’s aim was to fill this void of patients seeking treatment who feel frustrated, worried and worried about not having access. appropriate care in the community.
“And it was a nice, centralized way to give them access to care, document their symptoms so we could start to recognize disease patterns, and then refer them to the right specialist to get the right treatment.” , she added.
Patients typically have an hour-long appointment to review their medical history before reviewing their current coronavirus-induced symptoms.
“From that point on, the post COVID office will make the appropriate referrals. This would, for example, be towards cardiology, neurology, rehabilitation medicine or psychiatry, ”said Dr Titano.
But treating people with multiple – and often severe – symptoms is a challenge for a disease that still lacks long-term research.
Dr Greg Vanichkachorn, medical director of the Mayo Clinic’s (CARP) Covid Activities Rehabilitation Program in Rochester, Minnesota, told Insider that his center is taking a “slow and steady” approach based on treatments used before the pandemic of coronavirus.
“You know, this is not the first outbreak of the coronavirus. We had SARS and MERS, for example, and we already have research from that time that clearly shows there was post-syndrome. viral similar to this one. ” he said.
“What we have emphasized with our patients is to help them adjust and develop what is called a ‘paste’ therapy program, in which they slowly engage, with practical help, in rehabilitation, ”continued Dr Vanichkachorn.
“It’s all about slow, consistent activity with small gains.”
Therapy often includes simple measures, such as encouraging patients to increase their fluid and salt intake or giving them compression socks to help with blood circulation.
“And then if we really need it, we can also use medication to relieve symptoms, either to raise blood pressure if we need it, or to help with things like a rapid heart rate,” added the Dr Vanichkachorn.
Dr Titano of Mount Sinai confirmed that his rehabilitation clinic is taking a similar approach.
“We are restorers and healers, we want to have a clear diagnosis, and we want to solve this problem. But when there are flare-ups of symptoms, or when there are relapses or relapses, of course we take that very seriously, “Dr Titano said.
But even though Dr Titano admits that “it has been a slow and very arduous process of improvement”, she remains optimistic.
Mental health is also an issue
Clinics, like the one on Mount Sinai, also give patients access to social workers or therapists to overcome their trauma.
Many long haul travelers, especially those who have been hospitalized, have suffered from depression or, in some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
This is the case of Heather-Elizabeth Brown, a 36-year-old business trainer from Detroit, Michigan, who had to be put on a ventilator in April after coronavirus-induced pneumonia caused her lungs to fail.
Brown, who was in a coma for 31 days, said his experience was “traumatic”.
Shortly after doctors told him a ventilator would be the only way to save his life, Brown had to hold a “FaceTime family reunion” to make his decision. Her mother must have taken the call from the hospital parking lot.
“I remember I wrote my will on a napkin and put it in one of my boots and made sure to tell the nurses where it was just in case,” Brown said. “I just didn’t know at the time if I was going to come out alive.”
Heather-Elizabeth Brown in the hospital. (Heather-Elizabeth Brown)
“I have very strong faith. I trust God. But it’s one of those things that you don’t know. It was just a really big question mark,” she added.
Brown is currently undergoing therapy alongside a range of different treatments.
“I’m just lucky that a lot of my care is delivered in one health system. So at least all of my files are in one place, ”Brown said.
“But for people who may have other challenges or have different access barriers, having a center that also provides mental health support is a phenomenal idea. It’s like a one-stop-shop, ”she added.
Long-haul travelers feel forgotten
Teacher Watson said finding treatment for all of her ailments was frustrating and she often felt rejected by healthcare professionals.
The United States continues to grapple with tens of thousands of acute cases of COVID-19 per day, and many states are now focusing on administering the vaccines as quickly as possible. This often means that the long haul are sidelined.
“When we go to our appointments, the doctors tell us that they don’t feel our symptoms are severe enough and tell us that they are not going to waste their time with us. And that’s quite confusing as a patient, “Watson continued.
That’s part of the reason Watson started one of the largest Facebook long-haul support groups.
For Watson, having a program specially adapted for long haul would be “life changing”.
“I would personally love to go to one, but unfortunately there isn’t one in my area at the moment. But it’s definitely something I advocate,” she says.
“People just need to understand that we are a little impatient. We would like to get better and get our lives back and hopefully not have a significant portion of the population disabled by this disease,” she added. .
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
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