We don’t know enough about it. We’re not doing enough about it
We need more research into the post-acute Covid-19 – or Long Covid – to allow us to better treat this disease.
Multi-disciplinary teams are needed to help patients experiencing a myriad of debilitating effects of the virus which linger for months after their first illness. I speak from firsthand experience because both my husband and myself are Covid-19 “long-haulers” who have been struggling with the symptoms for five months since initially contacting coronavirus.
I first felt symptoms on April 11, the day after a colleague tested positive.
Testing was in its infancy and when
I was eventually screened for it, I proved negative. I was tested immediately, almost too quickly. We now know that around 30% of tests give false negatives.
There is a theory that those who don’t have coughs are more likely to get false negatives, and I didn’t have a cough until day six. I did have headaches, a raised temperature, aching muscles and dizziness.
Since then, in total, I’ve worked half a day and was floored with exhaustion. My jaw aches after only eating cereal. My husband and I have gone from people who regularly ran up to 15K a week to being exhausted by a mile-long walk to our local nursery. My experience shows just how much we still don’t know about the long-term after-effects of this virus.
We really need to increase awareness and follow-up for patients. There is a whole host of people who were not hospitalised but are still struggling to recover from the post-viral effects up to five months later. Others, who were well enough to recover at home, have also gone on to suffer long-term effects of Covid-19.
We need multi-disciplinary teams to manage people with symptoms – ideally they would include neurologists, cardiologists, ear nose and throat surgeons, gastroenterologists, chest physicians, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and psychologists.
Indeed, all areas of healthcare which specialise in the post-viral effects, from gastro problems and breathing difficulties to hearing loss.
GPS, who are the first port of call for most long haulers, are really struggling to get on top of this.
We need treatment plans, much more information and more specialist help to allow patients to recover.
Amy Small is a GP in Prestonpans, East Lothian, and a member of the BMA’S Scottish General Practice Committee