THE LONG HAUL
Stamford Hospital unit serves patients still suffering weeks, even months, after contracting COVID-19
STAMFORD — After fighting COVID-19 symptoms for weeks on end, the only place where Melissa Wynne could find solace was on social media, through the COVID Long Haulers Facebook group.
Her chest constantly felt tight, breathing was difficult, and the 31-year-old sometimes lost feeling in her extremities. Still, she tested negative for coronavirus twice shortly after she fell ill in April. Doctors latched onto that negative test and attributed her ailments to other things.
Even the cardiologist who diagnosed her with acid reflux dismissed the possibility of having contracted the virus, despite the fact that she complained of severe chest pains.
“He didn’t believe I had COVID either,” said Wynne. “He said that I should just try meditation.”
As doctors continued to tell Wynne that something else had to be wrong with her, she found the long haulers group. The experiences shared by others who still struggled with symptoms long after falling ill made her feel sane in the face of medical professionals.
Then, someone in the group mentioned a doctor helping people recover from the virus. He was based out of Stamford’s Tully Health Center, near where she’d grown up.
The combination of lingering symptoms and a newfound online community led Wynne across the country — back to her parents’ home in Greenwich and straight to the first medical professional to take her complaints seriously: Dr. Joseph Feuerstein.
Just as COVID-19 ravages the country once again, many patients from the first wave of infections still struggle to feel healthy and normal. To help aid their recoveries, Stamford Health has launched a new program through its Center for Integrative Medicine to lead patients towards a healed future.
Dr. Marc Brodsky, along with Feuerstein, cares for patients at the center’s Wellness Post-COVID-19 myalgic encephalomyelitis program. Myalgic ecephalomyelitis is more commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome, or CFS.
Outside of the post-coronavirus program, Brodsky specializes in treating chronic pain without the use of prescription medication. This approach translated easily into hospital’s COVID-19 treatment program, which attempts to address the virus from a holistic perspective.
“Therapies include non-opioid pain management with triggerpoint injections for myofascial pain and acupuncture, nutrition approaches such as anti-inflammatory diet, mind-body stress reduction techniques, and lifestyle treatments such as exercise and sleep recommendations,” said Brodsky.
Stamford Health announced the coronavirus care program in late August, after Brodsky read the latest report from the Centers for Disease Control. In it, the public health organization “described how COVID-19 can result in prolonged illness even among adults without underlying chronic medical illness,” something that moved the doctor to action.
The Centers for Disease Control lists symptoms like shortness of breath, joint pain and chest pain as examples of what COVID-19 patients, like Melissa Wynne, can feel long after the initial illness.
“Brain fog,” or a difficulty thinking and concentrating, is also a well-documented sideeffect of the disease. But, more serious and debilitating aftersymptoms have been reported, too. The CDC also says former patients cite abnormalities in lung function, the loss of smell or taste, kidney injury and even heart muscle damage.
Experts understand little about COVID-19 aftereffects, but previous coronaviruses paint a picture of what life could look like for former patients. A 2003 study on SARS, the last prominent coronavirus, found that some survivors found it difficult to exercise almost two years after their infection. Another research project published in 2009 indicated that “40% of people recovering from SARS still had chronic fatigue symptoms 3.5 years after being diagnosed.”
Despite the physical toll of these symptoms, Brodsky emphasized that longtime COVID patients can no longer transmit the virus to other people.
“COVID-19 ‘long haulers’ are not infectious,” he said. “Even though the body has cleared the infection, hit-and-run effects of the virus may persist.”
The CDC does not know for sure how long an infected person can spread the virus, but current evidence suggests that those with mild to moderate symptoms might spread COVID-19 for up to 10 days. People with severe COVID-19 might spread for up to 20 days.
Wynne started working with Feuerstein while still living in Los Angeles and attempting to recover from the virus on her own. By then, an antibody test finally affirmed her COVID-19 diagnosis after she begged the cardiologist who dismissed her symptoms to test her.
The first few appointments were filled with questions about her health habits, plus blood tests. Feuerstein wanted to know about any major life changes, about sleep levels, about her diet. He adjusted the vitamins and supplements Wynne was taking to help the inflammation she developed because of the virus.
Now, the doctor is checking her hormone levels, an endeavor that could lead to more treatment. Wynne’s symptoms have alleviated with her new medical care, she said.
Earlier in her recovery process, her chest ached if she sat up for too long.
“At this point, I’m feeling so much better that it’s gotten easier,” she said.
As the physical symptoms ease, Wynne said the integrative medicine program has provided her with much needed support as she navigates this new period of her life. After so much time being turned away by doctors, it helps.
“It’s just, good to have someone who’s my point person on this, like, brand new disease I have,” she said.