Nearly 1.2 million people have died from COVID in the United States since the first cases emerged four years ago, according to the CDC.And today an estimated 16 million people have the lingering symptoms of long COVID, with about one quarter of them no longer able to work. Researchers at the University of New Mexico Hospital are using findings from a multi-site long COVID study to learn how to diagnose prolonged symptoms and provide better treatment.
There’s a range of symptoms that come with long COVID.They can include chronic pain, shortness of breath, brain fog, gastrointestinal issues, and intense fatigue.
The wide variety can make it difficult to diagnose long COVID. Dr. Alisha Parada is medical director of the long COVID clinic at UNMH and co-principal investigator of the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery or RECOVER study, which is funded by the National Institute of Health.
The RECOVER program has enrolled over 12,000 adults and over 15,000 children. Of those New Mexico has enrolled 148 adults, with 42% identifying as Hispanic, with an additional 70 pediatric patients who 50% also identify as Hispanic.
She said since the disease is so new, many clinicians aren’t aware of the diagnosis because they have never been trained for something like this. That’s why she urges patients to advocate for themselves.
“A lot of times people are saying ‘Oh, they’re just faking it’. I think it’s important to believe people. Most people want to get back to their regular activity, they are losing a lot of quality of life and research will help us get people back to where they want to be” said Parada.
Another common long COVID symptom is extreme fatigue which in this case small activities can create exhaustion that lasts for days or weeks.
Dr. Parada said that with the research they are finding that women are more affected than men, but this disease does not discriminate. It can and is impacting people of all backgrounds.
Parada said it’s becoming clear that long COVID is real and is evolving into a chronic disease. While there’s currently no cure, the RECOVER study has been able to inform treatment plans that address the many different symptoms on an individualized basis.
Parada starts by setting goals with her patients and examining their symptoms to create a management plan. She will also refer them to other specialists as needed, including experts in neurology, behavioral health, pulmonology, and cardiology.
Dr. Michelle Harkins, division chief of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine at the UNM School of Medicine, testified earlier this year at the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and advocated for five priorities in addressing long COVID:
- Use the Project ECHO model nationally to identify and treat long COVID. This can help get care to those living in remote or rural areas.
- More funding for long COVID research.
- Legislation that would allow access to long COVID care easier.
- Funding for more clinical trial networks.
- Building an infrastructure to treat long COVID, including a national Long COVID Research Center
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.