This page highlights resources for self-managing long COVID symptoms, as well as treatments and services offered by the Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) Clinic.
The PACS Clinic at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center has seen hundreds of people experiencing the long-term effects of COVID-19 infection.
Read more about the PACS Clinic
Treatment
Because we do not fully understand the cause of long COVID, there is no single test or treatment for it.
It can be difficult for healthcare providers to recognize long COVID and to know how to treat it. This is often a source of frustration for both providers and patients. To ease this issue, we have collected management tips, research for health care professionals and several support groups so our patients feel that they are not alone.
The PACS team is up to date on the latest insights into long COVID, including possible causes, treatments and prognoses. We hope to conduct treatment studies so we can apply new discoveries from the scientific community to benefit our patients.
Depending on your symptoms, we may refer you to other specialists.
Management
Life with long COVID can be difficult because of the severity and multitude of symptoms.
Patients sometimes undergo many tests, but the results often come back as normal. This does not mean that the illness isn't real. It only means that current tests cannot explain these symptoms.
Some people may feel that their providers or friends and family are not taking their symptoms seriously. This can make them feel dismissed, isolated and unsupported. This section on managing and living with long COVID offers suggestions and resources to help with common physical, practical and mental challenges.
The PACS Clinic provides ways to connect with others who are likely to understand this condition, including support groups.
Tools and guides for self-management
In addition to handouts and post-visit summaries that the PACS Clinic and specialty providers give you, there are several resources online that can help you manage symptoms. These should not replace your providers’ recommendations. Instead, you might find that these tools reinforce the information you’ve received and skills you are developing.
The World Health Organization (WHO) published the downloadable leaflet, Support for rehabilitation: self-management after COVID-19-related Illness (PDF). This resource is available in multiple languages. It covers recommendations for managing:
- Attention, cognition and memory issues
- Breathlessness
- Fatigue
- Physical exercise
- Problems with smell and taste
- Stress, anxiety and sleep problems
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers symptom management guidelines for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a condition similar to long COVID. Useful documents include:
- Managing PEM (Post-Exertional Malaise) (PDF)
- Managing Specific Symptoms: Orthostatic Intolerance, Sleep Problems, Pain, Memory/Concentration Problems (PDF)
- Other Supportive Strategies (PDF)
The organization #MEACTION offers a downloadable Pacing and Management Guide (PDF). This includes strategies for avoiding the extreme fatigue that can occur after any exercise.