Even as doctors and federal agencies struggle to define the syndrome, hospitals and health care systems are opening long COVID specialty treatment programs.
program. One goal at Hopkins is to identify patients with psychological issues that might otherwise get overlooked, she says.
"Routine assessment is key," Vannorsdall says."If patients are not asked about their mental health symptoms, they may not spontaneously report them to their provider due to fear of stigma or simply not appreciating that there are effective treatments available for these issues." "Many patients worry their physicians, loved ones, and society will not believe them or will minimize their symptoms and suffering," says Murray, who treats patients at the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.
Patients often find their way to academic treatment centers after surviving severe COVID-19 infections. But a growing number of long COVID patients show up at these centers after milder cases. These patients were never hospitalized for COVID-19 but still have persistent symptoms like fatigue, thinking problems, and mood disorders.