Long Haul COVID19

This blog was originally posted, July 7, 2023, by Kristen Reynolds, MD, on our previous website.

Long Haul COVID is real and affects about 1/3 of people who have had COVID19. I suspect many more people are affected than these numbers reflect. Unfortunately, there is no data showing that COVID19 vaccination reduces the incidence of Long Haul and I routinely see both vaccinated and unvaccinated patients with Long Haul. In addition, a recent article from Science confirms the existence of Long Vax, a condition which is finally gaining acceptance in mainstream medicine.

Well-known symptoms of Long Haul include fatigue, brain fog, shortness of breath, pain (headache or nerve pain) and muscle aches/tiredness after exertion.

80% of people with Long Haul report limitations in their day-to-day activities, and about 1/3 of Long Haulers indicate these limitations are debilitating. I have many Long Haul patients who have left the workplace due to these severe and ongoing symptoms.

Long Haul COVID can also present with much milder symptoms, such as recurrent viral infections which adversely affect quality of life, including missed days of school and work.

There are Long Haul Clinics that have popped up in the conventional, insurance-covered world, but my patients have not found these clinics to be particularly helpful in providing symptom relief. Mostly they will make the diagnosis based on clinical symptoms and refer based on symptoms. Ongoing shortness of breath? You’ll be sent to pulmonology. Ongoing chest pain? You’ll get referred to cardiology. While it is not a bad idea to see these specialists and rule out other causes for chest pain, cardiac and pulmonary symptoms, there isn’t much of a focus on treating root cause, such as inflammation, vascular damage, clotting or infectious disease reactivation from the spike protein.

Part of the concern with making a Long Haul diagnosis based on clinical symptoms alone is that the symptoms of Long Haul overlap with other conditions such as Chronic Lyme (should we call it Long Lyme now?), Epstein-Barr virus (or EBV, also known as mono, which is a significant player in fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome) and other chronic conditions. Data shows that for 2-3 weeks after COVID19 infection and/or vaccination, the immune system is suppressed in a way that makes a recurrence of underlying Lyme and/or EBV quite common.

Dr. Bruce Patterson and his team of virologists have developed a 14-cytokine blood test that can help to make the diagnosis. Through computer-generated technology and AI guidance, they have discovered which of these cytokines (inflammatory markers) are abnormal in each of these settings. I have found this test to be helpful in nailing the diagnosis of Long Haul, Long Vax, Lyme recurrence or EBV/fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome, and then we can tailor treatment to better address root cause healing.

Interested in pursuing this test for yourself, a friend, or family member? See the information below to order the testing through Radiance (no affiliation with Golden Rey). Our team of clinicians at Golden Rey is well-versed in advising how to proceed with treatments once you’ve started the following process:

Radiance Test for Long Haul COVID19, Long Haul COVID19 Vax, Lyme or EBV flare:

- go to https://www.covidlonghaulers.com/north-america/patients

and order the Cytokine 14 Marker Panel for $410 (NOT the S1 Immune Subset Panel) and have that drawn (be sure to FREEZE the ice packs a day before the blood draw)

- once your results are back, return to the above website and schedule a video consult* with their clinicians who will interpret the test and give you treatment suggestions

- then you can follow up with us at Golden Rey and we can decide together if you are comfortable with the suggestions from Radiance (sometimes the protocols include things like statins and not everyone is comfortable taking those) and/or we can create a slightly different protocol targeting the underlying root cause

*Please remember to schedule a televisit with the doctors from Radiance, as they will be the ones to interpret the Cytokine Panel.