UofU Health opens clinic to treat coronavirus long-hauler patients

In an effort to provide more comprehensive and coordinated care for COVID-19 patients who continue to endure lingering effects of the disease, University of Utah Health has opened a post-COVID-19 care clinic. The clinic, which began accepting appointments on June 1, will offer medical services to self-described COVID-19 “long haulers” in the Mountain West who have one or more symptoms that have persisted for weeks or months after initial infection.

“I’ve heard from a lot of long-hauler patients that they want care from someone who will listen to them and take them seriously,” said Dr. Jeanette Brown, the medical director of the new clinic and a pulmonologist who is an assistant professor of internal medicine at UofU Health. “Our goal is to address their needs in the best and most effective ways we can in an environment where precision, patient-centered care is paramount.”

Since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Utah last spring, more than 405,000 incidences of the disease have been confirmed in the state. In most of those cases, the viral infection ran its course without lingering symptoms. But for some, the effects of the disease have persisted. Overall, studies show up to 30 percent of COVID-19 patients experience post-infection symptoms, Brown said.

These symptoms, ranging from mild to debilitating, include fatigue; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; cough; joint pain; chest pain; memory, concentration or sleep problems; muscle pain or headache; fast or pounding heartbeat or loss of smell or taste. Other lingering symptoms are depression or anxiety, fever, dizziness when standing or worsened symptoms after physical or mental activities.

To address these problems, clinic patients are evaluated by an advance practice clinician or a nurse who, in consultation with Brown, will coordinate care with physicians and practitioners of various specialties.

The clinic will also have educational learning collaborative sessions to help providers learn more about post-COVID-19 symptoms. This will provide support for care providers as well, Brown said.