GREEN BAY, Wis (NBC 26) -- Leaders at Prevea Health say they have found that many people diagnosed with COVID-19 are experiencing lingering symptoms, related to the disease.
Many folks who test positive for COVID-19 don't report severe illness or lasting impacts related to getting the virus. But, Prevea Health's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Laura Nelson, says about 30 percent of folks diagnosed do report lingering impacts to their health which can last weeks or even months after having been diagnosed. Nelson says the lasting impacts can be even more severe for those who were hospitalized because of the virus.
"I was just looking at a cohort of about 300 patients who were in the hospital and 70 percent of them, even two to three months later, continue to have severe fatigue, and about half of them continue to have cough and shortness of breath."
Doctor Nelson says in an effort to help those with lingering COVID-19 symptoms. Prevea has now opened COVID recovery clinics at all of their primary care sites.
"For instance, if people are having a cough or shortness of breath we can study lung function and perhaps target treatment, to reduce the cough and get their lung function back to where it was."
At the clinics, Nelson says Prevea doctors will identify and try and offer remedies for lingering COVID-19 symptoms that have persisted for more than 14-days.
"Some are saying I have no energy, or now I have insomnia, or maybe chronic headaches," says Nelson.
Nelson says the ultimate goal at the recovery sites is to offer treatment. And with an estimated 30 percent of her patients having some lingering effects related to COVID-19, she says they are learning more about recovering from the virus every day.
"I talked to a patient last week who had a cough and shortness of breath, and certainly with a few targeted treatments, even that day with some medication, he was feeling much better."
If you have experienced long term symptoms related to COVID-19, which h persisted for more than 14-days, Prevea Health has now opened their COVID recovery clinics at all of their locations offering primary care.
