
Managing COVID-19 Long-haul Illnesses
Currently, the medical and public health communities don't have a good handle on COVID-19, let alone how to define its long-term, chronic phase. "We don't have a huge body of evidence at this point," says Mehta, a researcher at John's Hopkins. Outside of a few small studies from the United Kingdom, most evidence of Long COVID has been reported anecdotally through grassroots efforts like the Body Politic COVID-19 Support Group, Survivor Corps, Patient-Led Research for COVID-19, and Long Haul COVID Fighters. Until recently, there hasn't been many resources devoted to long-haulers. Now, a year into the pandemic, as more individuals continue to struggle with the long-term effects of the disease, the focus is shifting. More research is forthcoming, including a new initiative from the National Institutes of Health and studies at institutions including Johns Hopkins and Mount Sinai focused on their clinic patients.