Page 77 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2022

FIGHTING

FATIGUE AND

BRAIN FOG:

Primary Care Offers Hope for
Long-Haul COVID Patients

by nisha jackson, ph.d., ms, np, hhp

ver two years into the pandemic, an alarming number of
people continue to develop “long-haul” symptoms months
after recovering from COVID-19. It’s estimated that any-
Owhere from 10-30% of people who have been infected
1
with COVID-19 will develop long COVID symptoms. “Long-haulers”
report a wide range of physical, mental, and cognitive symptoms —
including chronic fatigue, muscle pain, brain fog, digestive upset,
headache, hair loss, and change in smell. For some, these are the same
symptoms experienced when they first became sick. For others, new
and often debilitating symptoms arise.

Recovery can be difficult without any standardized treatment strate-
gies, and ongoing symptoms can exceed 35 weeks post-infection. The
2
World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes that people with mild
symptoms during infection can still have symptoms that may continue
for many weeks after infection. Due to the complexity of long COVID,
successful treatment requires a personalized and supportive treatment
plan outside of acute management for COVID-19.

Currently, the medical community acknowledges that a successful treat-
ment includes a holistic approach to prevent, treat, and support people
3
with long COVID. However, many “long-haulers” report not being able
to access healthcare providers or healthcare facilities to care for them.
Access to healthcare has worsened since the pandemic, which has been
exacerbated by the backlogs and staff changes in healthcare facilities.
4
While research institutions, governmental agencies, and specialty clin-
ics continue to develop studies on long COVID, our community contin-
ues to seek effective treatment to address their unmet healthcare needs
for recovery.
TREATING LONG COVID REQUIRES PERSONALIZED
PRIMARY CARE

New research suggests that primary care providers are critical in the
success of addressing long COVID for patients and the healthcare sys-
tem. Providers that deliver personalized care can evaluate, monitor
5
ongoing symptoms, and refer to specialists as necessary while best prac-
tices continue to develop. Integrative and personalized primary care can
help you implement lifestyle changes such as nutrition and fitness to
better support recovery. Working with a holistic medical provider to
create a comprehensive plan can provide the greatest success.

summer 2022 | www.southernoregonmagazine.com 75