More than six-thousand people have been referred to BC’s Post-COVID-19 Interdisciplinary Clinical Care Network.
Post COVID describes symptoms that linger after the initial acute phase.
Long COVID applies to a smaller percentage of patients with long term symptoms that are potentially even more debilitating.
It remains unclear how long people will feel the effects, but health staff at the Post COVID-19 clinic network have found 35 to 40 per cent of patients show improvement after six to nine months.
The PC-ICCN reports that as of late June, there were 6,361 referrals and 6,246 virtual and in-person clinic visits were arranged
Michelle Malbeuf, clinical operations lead at the network, says Post COVID has many different symptoms.
She says those affected may feel profound fatigue, shortness of breath, a lingering cough, brain fog, their sense of taste smell still haven’t returned to normal, chest pains and palpitations, and other symptoms.
She says they resemble those of other illnesses, therefor a look at a patient’s medical history is needed to make a diagnosis.
When it comes to treatment, Malbeuf says “there is no one size fits all,” but patients are generally helped with management of symptoms.
“It’s about recognizing your symptoms,” Maleuf says, “learning what triggers them, and really managing those triggers, and slowing down, pacing yourself.”
Post-COVID-19 Interdisciplinary Clinical Care Network has developed online education tools and resources to help patients.
The first PD-ICCN clinic opened in July of 2020 and there are now five throughout the province, including a clinic at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria.
