PANDEMIC IS SLOWING, SOME PEOPLE
WHO HAVE BEEN INFECTED ARE NOW
COPING WITH POST-COVID SYNDROME,
OR LONG COVID.
WHAT IS IT?
WHO'S AT RISK?
AND WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT.
FOR ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS
AND MORE, WE TURN TO DR. GREG
VANICHKACHORN, WITH A MAYO
CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM AND THE
MEDICAL DIRECTOR OF THEIR
COVID-19 ACTIVITY REHABILITATION
PROGRAM.
HE HAS WORKED WITH MANY PATIENTS
DIAGNOSED WITH LONG COVID
SYNDROME.
HE JOINS US NOW FROM ROCHESTER,
MINNESOTA, AND, DOCTOR, THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
HAVING ME.
I APPRECIATE IT.
>> SO HOW COMMON IS IT FOR
PEOPLE TO GET THIS LONG COVID?
>> YOU KNOW, IT IS FAIRLY
COMMON.
I WISH I COULD SAY THAT THIS IS
A RARE THING, BUT ACCORDING TO
OUR RESEARCH, ANYWHERE BETWEEN
10% AND 30% OF INDIVIDUALS WITH
COVID CAN EXPECT TO COME DOWN
WITH POST-COVID SYNDROME.
AND THAT'S A CONSERVATIVE
MEASUREMENT, UNFORTUNATELY.
>> WOW.
THAT IS A REALLY BIG NUMBER,
BIGGER THAN I DEFINITELY
UNDERSTOOD.
CAN A PERSON DEVELOP IT EVEN IF
THEY DIDN'T INITIALLY HAVE
SYMPTOMS, LIKE SAY A CHILD?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
UNFORTUNATELY, WE DON'T SEE A
RELATIONSHIP NECESSARILY BETWEEN
LONG HAUL COVID SYMPTOMS AND HOW
SEVERE THE ACUTE INFECTION WAS.
IN FACT, SOME OF OUR PATIENTS
HAVEN'T HAD REALLY ANY SYMPTOMS
AND JUST FOUND OUT AFTER THE
CONTACT THROUGH THINGS LIKE
CONTACT TRACING.
AND, YES, WE HAVE SEEN THIS ALSO
OCCUR IN PEDIATRIC POPULATION AS
WELL.
>> SO WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF
THIS SYNDROME?
>> IT CAN BE QUITE NEBULOUS, BUT
THE TWO THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE
THINK ABOUT ARE FATIGUE THAT IS
QUITE PROFOUND.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, PATIENTS WILL
SAY THEY HAVE TO TAKE A THREE TO
FOUR-HOUR NAP AFTER DOING
SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS TAKING
OUT THE TRASH OR HOUSEHOLD
CHORES.
THE OTHER THING WE HEAR ABOUT IS
ONGOING SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND
IT'S NOT JUST WHEN PEOPLE ARE
DOING ACTIVITIES, BUT EVEN AT
REST.
WE SEE A LOT OF OTHER SYMPTOMS,
INCLUDING HEADACHES AND BRAIN
FOG, WHICH IS OFTEN MANIFEST
WITH THINGS LIKE TROUBLES WITH
SHORT-TERM MEMORY?
>> CAN IT BE HARD TO DIAGNOSE OR
IS IT PRETTY CLEAR TO PEOPLE
LIKE YOU, BUT WHAT ABOUT ACROSS
THE BOARD WITH PRIMARY CARE
PHYSICIANS OR SOMETHING?
>> YES.
THIS REMAINS A CHALLENGE FOR A
LOT OF PROVIDERS AROUND THE
COUNTRY.
THERE STILL ISN'T A LOT KNOWN
ABOUT THIS CONDITION.
THERE'S ALSO NO SPECIFIC
DIAGNOSTIC TEST CAN BE DONE TO
IDENTIFY THIS CONDITION.
MANY PROVIDERS ARE AT A LOSS TO
ACCURATELY DIAGNOSE THIS.
>> CAN A PERSON DEVELOP
POST-COVID SYMPTOMS AFTER A
BREAKTHROUGH CASE, EVEN AFTER A
VACCINE?
>> YES.
WE HAVE SEEN THAT HAPPEN.
I'VE HAD A FEW PATIENTS WHERE
PATIENTS HAVE HAD BREAKTHROUGH
INFECTIONS AND GONE ON TO HAVE
LONG COVID SYMPTOMS.
BUT FORTUNATELY THAT'S FAIR SO
FAR IN OUR EXPERIENCE HERE.
I WILL SAY THAT THE PATIENTS
THAT DO HAVE A MORE PROLONGED
CORCORCOURSE SEEM TO BE GETTING
BETTER.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO SAY WHETHER
THE VACCINE IS WHAT'S PREVENTING
PEOPLE FROM GETTING LONG COVID.
THE AVERAGE TIME LAST YEAR WAS
ABOUT THREE MONTHS AFTER THE
INFECTION WHEN SOMEONE WOULD
COME FOR CARE.
BUT NOW PEOPLE ARE SHOWING UP
TWO TO THREE WEEKS OUT AFTER
THEIR INFECTION TO KIND OF GET
AHEAD OF THE PROBLEM.
>> DOES IT EVER GO AWAY?
>> SOME IT DOES.
ABSOLUTELY WANT TO GIVE PEOPLE
HOPE.
WE DO SEE A GROUP OF PATIENTS
THAT GET BETTER AFTER FOUR TO
SIX MONTHS AND ABLE TO BOUNCE
BACK TO THEIR NORMAL LIVES.
AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO HAVE
SOME PATIENTS NOW WHO ARE A YEAR
OR MORE OUT FROM THEIR INFECTION
AND THEY'RE STILL EXPERIENCING
SYMPTOMS.
THEY ARE BETTER THAN WHEN THEY
FIRST STARTED TREATMENT, BUT IT
REALLY DOES LOOK LIKE THIS LONG
COVID ISSUE CAN BE A CHRONIC
PROBLEM.
>> WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR
LONG COVID?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING THAT WE
DO FOR TREATMENT HERE IS TO MAKE
SURE THAT NOTHING ELSE IS GOING
ON THAT COULD EXPLAIN A
PATIENT'S SYMPTOMS.
THERE CAN BE SOME VERY SERIOUS
COMPCOMPLICATIONS, LIKE A BLOOD
CLOT.
SO WE LIKE TO MAKE SURE
EVERYTHING IS OKAY.
AFTER THAT IT'S MORE ABOUT
RECONDITIONING THE BODY
APPROPRIATELY AND HELPING MANAGE
THE SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH
THIS SO THAT PATIENTS CAN
PARTICIPATE IN THAT
REHABILITATION, SO TAKING CARE
OF HEADACHES, FOR EXAMPLE,
TREATING POOR SLEEP, TREATING
PAINS IN THE BODIES, ALL OF
THOSE THINGS TO MINIMIZE SO
PATIENTS CAN APPROPRIATELY
RECOVER.
WE'LL INVOLVE OUR PHYSICAL AND
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY GROUPS TO
HELP WITH THAT.
>> THIS HAS GOT TO BE VERY
DIFFICULT FOR THE PATIENTS.
WHAT IS YOUR MESSAGE TO PEOPLE
WHO MIGHT BE SUFFERING THESE
KINDS OF SYMPTOMS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I WOULD SAY THE MOST IMPORTANT
THING IS THAT IF PATIENTS ARE
SUFFERING THIS CONDITION, DON'T
BE AFRAID TO SELF-ADVOCATE FOR
YOURSELF.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE
ARE A LOT OF BARRIERS TO
INDIVIDUALS GETTING CARE.
DON'T SETTLE WITH NO FOR AN
ANSWER OR THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN
DO OUT THERE.
THERE ARE OTHER CLINICS OUT
THERE THAT ARE READY TO HELP
PATIENTS WHO ARE IN NEED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANKS FOR THIS INFORMATION.
VERY IMPORTANT, DOCTOR.