Wellness Exchange: Health Discussions
Long COVID Hope: Doctors Unravel Mystery, Offer New Treatments
[MUSIC] Welcome to Listen 2. This is Ted. The news was published on Wednesday, October 2nd. Joining us today are Eric and Kate. Let's dive into our topic, long COVID. What exactly is long COVID? And why has it been so difficult to diagnose and treat? Well, Ted, long COVID is a real head scratcher. It's this complex syndrome that pops up after someone's had COVID-19, hanging around for at least three months and messing with multiple organ systems. The tricky part is there's no simple blood test to diagnose it and the symptoms are all over the map. It's like trying to nail jelly to a wall. Every patient seems to have a different experience. That's painting it with way too broad a brush. The real issue here is that for the longest time- I understand your frustration, Kate, but let's give credit where it's due. The medical community has made huge strides. We're talking about nearly 18 million Americans affected by long COVID, according to the CDC, and get this. The government has pumped over 1.6 billion into research. That's not chump change. That's- Sure, throw money at the problem. But where's the payoff? Hold on a sec, Kate. Rome wasn't built in a day. This research is laying the groundwork for future treatments. We're making progress, even if it's not as fast as we'd like. Interesting points from both of you. Now, how does long COVID actually show up in patients? What are some of the most common symptoms people experience? Great question, Ted. The symptoms can be a real mixed bag, but we're talking serious stuff like extreme fatigue that knocks you flat, brain fog that makes you feel like you're waiting through molasses, and heart and breathing issues. Dr. Systrom's research is pretty eye-opening. He found that long COVID patients have trouble getting oxygen to their muscles, even though their lungs seem to be working fine. It's like the body's delivery system is on the fritz. You're missing a big piece of the puzzle here. It's not just physical symptoms. Many patients are- You're absolutely right, Kate. The neurological symptoms are crucial to understand. Take Elizabeth Kenny, the patient mentioned in the article. She developed a stutter. I imagine suddenly struggling with speech after COVID. And then there's dysautonomia, which is like your body's autopilot system going haywire. It affects all those things we don't think about, heart rate, digestion, even sweating. Exactly. And that's why we need more comprehensive research and funding. The current approach is like trying to solve a Rubik's Cube with your eyes closed. It's too fragmented and doesn't address the full spectrum of what patients are going through. I have to push back on that, Kate. The research is actually progressing quite well. Clinicians like Dr. Systrom are making- Making breakthroughs? Come on, Eric, a few promising studies don't equate to real help for the millions suffering right now. We need action, not just more lab work. You both raise interesting points about the complexity of long COVID. Let's shift gears a bit. Can you draw any parallels between long COVID and other post-viral syndromes from history? Absolutely, Ted. The most relevant comparison here is chronic fatigue syndrome, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis. This isn't some new kid on the block. It's been around for decades, affecting millions of Americans, and here's the kicker. It shares a ton of similarities with long COVID. It's like they're two peas in a very uncomfortable pod. That's a convenient comparison, but it completely ignores the unique aspects of long COVID. We're dealing with- I get where you're coming from, Kate, but the similarities are too striking to ignore. Dr. Systrom's work with chronic fatigue syndrome patients was like a crash course for tackling long COVID. Both conditions involve this sneaky post-viral inflammation and the body's immune system getting its wires crossed. It's like the body is fighting a ghost war long after the virus has left the building. But the scale and urgency of long COVID are in a whole different league. We're not talking about a gradual buildup over years. This is like a tsunami of disability hitting us all at once. It's more like the aftermath of the 1918 influenza pandemic. Millions of people potentially disabled in the blink of an eye. That's not something we can just shrug off or treat like business as usual. Interesting historical context. How does the medical community's response to long COVID compared to these historical post-viral syndromes? Night and day, Ted, the response to long COVID has been like a medical community on steroids, faster and more comprehensive than anything we've seen before. In just a few years, we've got major research initiatives spinning up and specialized clinics popping up all over. Compare that to chronic fatigue syndrome, which was treated like the redheaded stepchild of medicine for decades. We're talking light speed progress here. Light speed? That's rich. Many long COVID patients are still banging their heads against a wall. I hear you, Kate, but you got to admit, once the medical establishment got on board, they really hit the gas. We've even got the big wigs at the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine Publishing, an official definition of long COVID. That's not small potatoes. Definitions are all well and good, Eric, but they don't put food on the table or get people back to work. We need concrete action and treatments that actually help people, not just more academic papers. The current approach is still to hit or miss, like throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. But that experimentation is exactly what's leading to breakthroughs. Clinicians are identifying real, measurable changes. Breakthroughs that aren't reaching the average patient fast enough. We're still leaving too many people in the lurch. Both of you have given us a lot to think about. Looking ahead, what are the potential scenarios for long COVID treatment and management? I've got to say, Ted, I'm pretty optimistic about where we're headed. The research being done by Dr. Systrom and his colleagues is like a roadmap to targeted treatments. We're already seeing some real success stories with drugs like low-dose naltrexone to dial down inflammation and my doedrine to help with those pesky blood pressure issues. It's like we're finally cracking the code on this thing. Optimistic. That's a fairy tale view if I ever heard one. These treatments are still experimental, not FDA approved for long COVID. I understand your skepticism, Kate, but you can't deny the progress. Clinicians are sharing information like never before, refining their approaches in real time. It's like a global brain trust working on this problem. We're bound to see rapid improvements in patient outcomes as this knowledge spreads. Rapid improvements? Tell that to the millions of patients still struggling to get proper care. We need a complete overhaul of how we approach post-viral syndromes, not just tweaks to the existing system. It's like trying to fix a broken dam with band-aids. Fascinating perspectives. What role do you think emerging technologies and research methods will play in addressing long COVID? They're going to be absolute game changers. Ted, we're talking about advanced imaging techniques that'll let us peek into the body like never before and genetic studies that could unlock the mysteries of why some people get long COVID and others don't. We're already seeing breakthroughs in understanding the microscopic damage caused by long COVID, like how it messes with those tiny nerve fibers. It's like we're finally getting a high def picture of what's going on inside these patients. Technology alone won't solve this. We need a holistic approach that considers the social and economic impacts of long COVID. I agree that we need a holistic approach, Kate, but these technological advances are going to be the foundation of that approach. As we get a clearer picture of what's happening in long COVID patients, we can develop more targeted treatments and support systems. It's like building a house. You need a solid foundation before you can put up the walls and roof. But who's going to have access to these fancy new treatments, Eric? We're likely to see a growing gap between those who can afford specialized care and those who can't. It's not just about developing treatments. It's about making sure everyone can actually benefit from them. That's precisely why ongoing research and collaboration between clinicians is so crucial, as treatments become established. Established treatments don't mean squat if the health care system doesn't adapt quickly enough. We need systemic changes to address this growing public health crisis effectively. It's not just about the science. It's about policy, accessibility, and social support. Thank you both for this insightful discussion. It's clear that long COVID presents complex challenges, but also opportunities for medical advancement. While there's still much work to be done, it's encouraging to see the progress being made. We'll certainly be keeping a close eye on developments in this field.