Washington:
When Stephanie Hedrick realized she was still suffering from shortness of breath, blurred vision and brain fog months after recovering from Covid-19, she knew she needed more help than her GP could provide on her own.
“Not every doctor knows everything,” says the 62-year-old, a retired teacher from the US state of Virginia.
After months of rehabilitation therapy at a specialist clinic in nearby capital Washington, Hedrick was finally able to play in the waves with her five grandchildren this summer.
The MedStar Covid recovery program she turned to is part of a new wave of clinics specifically treating patients suffering from long-term Covid – a post-infection syndrome that can affect almost every system in the body, sometimes causing debilitating symptoms.
“The clinic gave me hope that life would go on,” Hedrick said.
Similar clinics have sprung up in the United States as thousands of people recovering from coronavirus infections — even mild ones — still struggle.
Doctors have known for years that some patients recovering from viral infections develop post-viral syndromes, but the exact cause is unknown.
“Something’s happening. It’s clearly not in people’s minds,” said Hana Akselrod, co-director of the Covid-19 Recovery Clinic at George Washington University’s health system.
Estimates of the long-term prevalence of Covid vary widely from study to study, from just 10 percent of people recovering from Covid infection, to as much as 35 or even 50 percent.
After her infection, Hedrick — who described herself as otherwise “active” — suddenly had irregular heart rhythms, joint pain, and shortness of breath.
“It’s like someone has taken all your energy, strength and motivation to do something,” she said.
Eric Wisotzky, chief of the MedStar clinic, said he is working with patients on strategies to manage their symptoms — a “delicate balance” between exercise and rest.
Some even regain a lost sense of smell by sniffing essential oils several times a day.
To improve endurance, Hedrick was advised to do short, easy exercises.
And when she gets confused at the grocery store, Hedrick uses the strategies her speech therapist taught her to slow down and go through her shopping list piece by piece.
She admits that she doesn’t feel quite back to normal.
But, “I have longer periods of good days,” she said.
unknown cause
Alba Azola, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute Covid-19 Team in Baltimore, Maryland, said she has “multiple theories” about the causes of long-term Covid, from bits of virus left in the body to an immune system gone out of control. .
“I think there is more than one mechanism at play and we just have to catch up with science,” Azola said.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define long Covid as a collection of “new or persistent” symptoms four or more weeks after the acute infection has resolved, although there is disagreement over exactly which conditions can be attributed to the condition.
For many patients, the very idea that a doctor will acknowledge their suffering can bring relief.
Marijke Sutter, 39, is a nurse in Baltimore who contracted Covid in March 2020 — probably, she thinks, from her job.
Sutter gave up and needed more time to rest.
“Those first four months are a blur,” said Sutter, who was plagued with fatigue and insomnia.
She started working with Johns Hopkins doctors in June 2021.
“It’s nice to have doctors validate my patient experience,” Sutter said.
Sutter says meditation and yoga have been the most helpful in her recovery, and is now back to working part-time and teaching remote nursing.
But most days she still needs three hours of naps.
“Cognitive functioning is just as exhausting as physical work,” she said.
‘Scary’
Rachel Curley, a 32-year-old Washington resident and MedStar patient, also found that transitioning to part-time work with her policy attorney helped her battle Covid for a long time.
Curley became infected in December 2020. Within a few weeks, her fever was gone, replaced by extreme fatigue, brain fog, and dizziness. Daily tasks would raise her heart rate.
“It feels scary on some level,” Curley said. “What if I never feel better?”
Until now, Curley has been instructed to avoid stress but increase physical activity – and the formula has so far helped her eliminate fatigue.
There is no one-size-fits-all cure, Hedrick explained.
“If this is the new normal, then I have a toolbox of resources, I have doctors, I have strategies, and I can contact any of them,” she said.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)