A word from the Long COVID Initiative Faculty Director, Dr. Francesca Beaudoin, MD, MS, PhD, Interim Chair of the Department of Epidemiology; Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health:
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"Well into the third year of the pandemic, we still have a lot to learn. Though this could apply to a staggering number of topics, it especially is true for Long COVID. Just as widespread recognition for Long COVID was slow to develop among certain communities, research has, likewise, lagged behind. Though attention is finally being paid on a federal level, we still have not yet established a gold standard for Long COVID diagnosis and treatment. This edition of the newsletter focuses on what we don’t know and two groups - seniors and women - who, according to recent research, may be at a higher risk of serious impact from Long COVID. Like most everything to do with Long COVID, these findings certainly merit further study."
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What we do — and, frustratingly, don’t — know about Long COVID
"Dr. Lekshmi Santhosh is an assistant professor of pulmonary and critical care medicine at U.C.S.F. Medical Center, and she’s a founder and medical director of U.C.S.F.’s Long Covid and Post-I.C.U. Clinic. That clinic opened in May 2020 and was one of the first to focus on treating long Covid patients specifically. And so Dr. Santhosh helps me here wade through what we know and — frustratingly, but really importantly — what we don’t know about long Covid, what it’s doing to us, and what we can do about it."
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Long COVID symptoms are often overlooked in seniors
"Only now is the impact on older adults beginning to be documented. In a study published in the journal BMJ, researchers estimated that 32 percent of older adults in the United States who survived covid infections had symptoms of long covid up to four months after infection — more than double the 14 percent rate an earlier study found in adults ages 18 to 64. (Other studies suggest symptoms can last much longer, for a year or more.)"
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Females far likelier to suffer with Long COVID, a new review of studies shows, underscoring a critical need for sex-disaggregated research
"A new study published today in the peer-reviewed journal Current Medical Research and Opinion, reveals that females are “significantly” more likely to suffer from Long COVID than males and will experience substantially different symptoms... Researchers from the Johnson & Johnson Office of the Chief Medical Officer Health of Women Team, who carried out the analysis of data from around 1.3 million patients, observed females with Long COVID are presenting with a variety of symptoms including ear, nose, and throat issues; mood, neurological, skin, gastrointestinal and rheumatological disorders; as well as fatigue."
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Talking to your healthcare provider if you think you have Long COVID
"As a first step, make an appointment with your primary care provider. Your provider will be able to evaluate you and determine if any testing or treatments are needed. In some situations, your primary care provider may refer you to a specialist for further evaluation. There may also be specific programs and clinics for individuals with Long COVID in your area. A listing of Long COVID specialty centers can be found here.
There are now several support networks for Long COVID that are available, which can help connect you with other resources for individuals with this condition.
At these appointments, it may be in your best interest to prepare. This could include..."
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Patient Advocacy Foundation - COVID Care
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Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) is a national 501(c)3 non-profit organization which provides case management services and financial aid to Americans with chronic, life-threatening and debilitating illnesses. They offer a number of services related to COVID-19, including assistance for reducing financial burden and enrollment into appropriate insurance and social programs. Some resources include PAF’s Co-Pay Relief Program and COVID Care Recovery Fund.
More information is available on PAF's website.
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