Long-haul COVID sufferers want centralized clinic

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This article was published 15/06/2022 (1371 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

COVID long-haulers in Manitoba are calling for a centralized clinic to help them.

On Wednesday, the official list of available post-COVID resources was released.

For the first time since the pandemic began, Shared Health published a Long COVID webpage that points to physiotherapy, support groups and mental-health services.

Some information has been adapted from information released by other provinces, including Alberta and Nova Scotia, and other countries, including a linked video by Long COVID Physio, a UK-based international consortium of physiotherapists, researchers and long-COVID-sufferers.

Winnipegger Lynne Pinterics, who has been dealing with long-haul COVID symptoms since she had a presumed COVID-19 infection in March 2020, said the symptom information is thorough, but it’s not enough.

“It’s good that they’re putting resources online, but people need physicians who can help them,” Pinterics said.

Some of the resources focus on how people with lasting symptoms can keep from over-exerting themselves and worsening fatigue. Mindfulness does help, but it only goes so far, Pinterics said.

“If you take a deep breath, and then that makes you cough, all that does is produce more anxiety,” she said, adding she worries some information gives people the impression that if their symptoms continue, it’s because they haven’t done their pacing or breathing exercises well enough.

“They do say if symptoms continue, to contact your primary care physician, but many do not have one, and this points to the huge need for a COVID long haul clinic where there are primary care physicians as well as (occupational therapists), physio, etc. When the symptoms are severe, you are too sick to read all this info and figure out what to do.”

Cam Regier, who has had long COVID symptoms for more than a year, emphasized the need for official long-COVID medical guidance for physicians, and said establishing a centralized Manitoba long-COVID clinic, which exists in some provinces, would be helpful. Regier has been to heart and lung specialists and reviewed similar webpages published by the B.C. government. For someone new to long COVID, Manitoba’s information is a good start, he said, but he pointed out many Manitobans have been trying to find relief for lasting symptoms for two years.

“It’s a nice start, but we need dedicated resources,” Regier said.

“Once you’ve figured out the symptoms, there isn’t really a clear path on what you’re supposed to do next,” he added.

Both Regier and Pinterics said they’ve experienced recent serious relapses of their symptoms after contracting minor colds.

The information released Wednesday does include a list of services that are now available to long COVID patients in Winnipeg that don’t require a doctor’s referral.

Other specialized programs do require referrals. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority’s pulmonary rehabilitation program, for example, has been taking clients who have long-COVID symptoms. About 25 per cent of them are long-haulers, a WRHA spokesperson confirmed Wednesday: 200 of 796 clients were diagnosed with COVID-19 between Dec. 1, 2020 and June 1, 2022.

katie.may@winnipegfreepress.com