AHN launches clinic for “long haul carriers” | Coronavirus

Weeks to months after recovery, many COVID-19 patients suffer from prolonged symptoms such as loss of taste and smell, overwhelming malaise, and brain fog.

This group is now widely known as “long-haul carriers”.

Allegheny Health Network has launched AHN Post COVID-19 Recovery Clinic. It is one of the first specialized clinics in the region to provide lasting access to COVID symptom specialists for people throughout the region.

The clinic works with patients who have recovered from moderate to acute cases of COVID-19 and are experiencing its long-term effects.

“Nationwide, doctors have recovered from COVID-19, but an increasing number of patients continue to address a myriad of problems, from lung, heart and vascular problems to chronic fatigue, headaches and post-traumatic stress disorders. I have witnessed that. ” Dr. Tariq Chima, head of AHN’s lung, critical care, sleep and allergies department and head of the clinic’s physician. “The effects of the pandemic continue to be seen in this new patient population. We look forward to helping these individuals diagnose symptoms, navigate treatment routes, and alleviate some of their concerns. I am doing it. “

The clinic is based at the AHN Wexford Health and Wellness Pavilion Respiratory Disorders Center and is led by a network of lung and critical care.

Overall, it is estimated that of the more than 28 million Americans diagnosed with COVID-19, as many as 8.4 million fall into the long COVID category.

Studies show that up to one-third of people who test positive for COVID-19 can develop long COVID.

A recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association has seen a surge in the number of people over the age of 65 to over 43%.

Symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, shortness of breath, lung tissue damage, heart or nerve complications, and depression. In fact, of the nearly 4,000 people who recovered from COVID-19, more than half met the criteria for moderate or higher symptoms. According to a recent report published in JAMA Psychiatry, major depressive disorder.

Symptoms range from mild to incapacitated.

“We have seen a former COVID-19 patient who has never smoked on a lung scan that reflects a lifelong smoker’s lung scan,” Cheema said. “We are also looking at extreme malaise, persistent odor and taste loss, heart irritation, and an increasing number of self-reported depressions, so COVID-19 hospitalizations are beginning to spread throughout the network. Therefore, we focused on designing an interdisciplinary and strategic clinical team for diagnosis, recovery, and comprehensive care. “

The AHN Post COVID-19 Recovery Clinic includes caregivers in the areas of cardiovascular, family medicine, behavioral health, lung and critical care to help patients manage complications caused by mild to severe COVID infections. And help to overcome.

Based in Wexford’s AHN Health and Wellness Pavilion, clinicians work at Allegheny General, Allegheny Valley, Jefferson, Grove City, and St. Vincent hospitals. The clinic also makes reservations for telemedicine.

In addition, the AHN Institute evaluates and analyzes data collected from patients during treatment to learn more about the persistent effects of the virus.

“By quickly integrating this information, we gain more understanding of the epidemiology, more data to inform treatment plans, and more knowledge to share with the wider community. There is still a lot to learn and apply from this pandemic, “says Cheema.

The new clinic is available to anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and who continues to have symptoms after recovery. For more information or to book, please call 412-DOCTORS.