Help for Patients with Post-COVID Health Issues
If you’re experiencing post-COVID health issues, you are not alone. The UVM Health Network COVID Recovery Program is here to provide the support you need.
Although the majority of COVID-19 patients recover within two to three weeks, a significant number of people continue to experience persistent symptoms and health issues long after their initial recovery. This condition, also known as “Long COVID,” is still being studied, but symptoms may include:
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- Anxiety and depression
- Changes to sense of smell or taste
- Chest pain or tightness
- Dizziness
- Earaches or tinnitus
- Fatigue
- Fever, cough, and / or sore throat
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Headaches
- Hearing difficulties
- Heart palpitations
- Impaired balance
- Muscle weakness and joint pain
- Persistent headache
- Pins and needles
- Problems with attention, memory and concentration ("brain fog")
- Rashes
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Sleep disturbances
- Stomach aches, diarrhea, and / or loss of appetite
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or others, after having COVID-19, we’re here to help.
"It's important for people with long-lasting COVID symptoms to know that they're not alone and that they have support."
— KATHERINE MENSON, DO, PULMONARY AND CRITICAL CARE PHYSICIAN AT THE UVM MEDICAL CENTER
How to Get Help
The UVM Health Network COVID Recovery Program was created to help patients with ongoing COVID-related health issues, and provides highly individualized, expert medical care across the UVM Health Network, based on the most current research and understanding of Long COVID.
Treatment for Long COVID begins with your primary care provider, who will assess your symptoms and provide a recommended course of action. Contact your primary care provider or message them through MyChart to let them know you're experiencing post-COVID-19 symptoms.
From there, you may be referred to one or more specialty services, including:
- Audiology
- Cardiology
- Gastroenterology
- Hematology
- Infectious Disease
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Neurology
- Rheumatology
- Speech-Language Pathology
Your primary care provider does not need to be affiliated with the UVM Health Network for you to be able to access these services.
Don’t Have a Primary Care Provider?
If you do not currently have a primary care provider, please call (802) 847-5039. We will help you schedule an appointment with a Primary Care provider in your area.
COVID-19 Support Groups
COVID-19 Recovery Support Group
Open to all patients, family members, and caregivers experiencing the impact of long-COVID. The group meets on Zoom the third Wednesday of each month from 5-6pm (EST) and is led by a UVM Medical Center physician. This confidential forum will provide an opportunity for those affected by long-COVID to share their experiences with ongoing symptoms, learn about the latest scientific research on the disease and recovery, and find resources.
To learn more or register please contact COVID19RecoverySupport [at] UVMHealth.org (COVID19RecoverySupport[at]UVMHealth[dot]org).
Patient Wellness and Coping Skills Support Group
Long Covid patients participate twice a month to support one another in coping with the changes and stresses that come along with this disease on physical, financial, occupational and relationship levels. The group is facilitated by a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is open to any Vermonter who is experiencing Long Covid. We are also planning to start a similar group for family/friends/caregivers. If anyone you know is interested in either group, please contact Gretchen.Kitsos [at] UVMHealth.org (Gretchen[dot]Kitsos[at]UVMHealth[dot]org) for more information. This group is currently only open to those in the state of Vermont.