Connect with us

Colorado

Colorado’s long COVID clinics can’t meet demand, so health leaders look to expand treatment

Published

on

Colorado’s long COVID clinics can’t meet demand, so health leaders look to expand treatment


Colorado doesn’t have enough capacity to treat everyone suffering with long COVID at the three specialized clinics in the state, so public health leaders are trying to figure out ways for more people to get the care they need closer to home.

Three multidisciplinary clinics in the state see long COVID patients, at National Jewish Health in Denver, UCHealth in Aurora and Family Health West in Fruita. Together, they’ve treated about 10,000 people since mid-2020 — a significant number, but nowhere near everyone in need, said Dr. Sarah Jolley, medical director of the UCHealth Post-COVID Clinic.

Researchers estimated in November 2022 that between 228,000 and 651,000 Coloradans had symptoms that lingered after a COVID-19 infection, what has become known as long COVID.

Some people have relatively mild symptoms, such as loss of smell, while others are unable to work or care for themselves because of extreme fatigue or “brain fog.” Some report their conditions improve over time, while others see no change or get worse.

Advertisement

One idea to bring care to more people with long COVID is building on Project Extension for Community Health Outcomes, or ECHO, which connects primary care providers with specialists to learn how to manage certain conditions locally and to discuss complex patients. It started in New Mexico and initially focused on teaching rural providers to treat patients with hepatitis C, but has expanded over time.

Dr. Kyle Leggott, primary care liaison for Project ECHO in Colorado, said the group put together seven online courses to cover the basics of long COVID care, which are free to providers who want them. They’re still working on setting up groups for more in-depth training and consultation, he said.

“We really need every provider who meets patients in the ambulatory care setting to know what long COVID is,” he said.

Even if care is available in someone’s community, it doesn’t do much good if they can’t afford it, said Chelsey Baker-Hauck, a long COVID patient who spoke at a roundtable hosted by Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera on Wednesday. She said one drug seems to be preventing more damage from her immune system attacking multiple body tissues, but it was a tough fight to get her insurance to cover it, and she expects to have to go through the same battle again soon.

The state also needs to make other supports more accessible, like disability payments, Baker-Hauck said. A friend of hers who also has long COVID recently lost her home because she was unable to work and spent much of her savings trying to repair her immune system, which is no longer protecting her from routine infections, she said.

Advertisement

“She’s not going to live to see her first disability payment,” she said.

Research suggests people newly infected with COVID-19 now are at a lower risk for lingering symptoms than they were earlier in the pandemic, due to immunity from vaccination and prior infections, as well as changes in the virus itself. That said, some still become seriously ill, placing them at a higher risk for long COVID.

As of Tuesday, 267 people in Colorado were hospitalized for COVID-19, and the number of people admitted on an average day was rising both in the state and nationwide.

Alison Sbrana, a disability activist from Fort Collins who spoke at the roundtable in Aurora, said the state’s infrastructure for treating post-viral syndromes has improved since the pandemic started.

She developed myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, in 2014 after an infection with the virus that causes mononucleosis. She bounced from specialist to specialist for years with no help, and it was extremely difficult to find someone who could treat her health as a whole and coordinate her care, she said.

Advertisement

While having three multidisciplinary clinics is an improvement over the landscape when she got sick, patients with post-viral conditions still face significant barriers to care, Sbrana said. For example, some people with cognitive symptoms of long COVID can’t drive, and not everyone has a relative or friend who can take them to Denver for appointments, she said.

“It would be an enormous lift for me to come down here and get care,” Sbrana said.

Project ECHO could be a partial solution, especially since the organizers seem interested in hearing from patients about what isn’t working in the current system, Sbrana said. Primary care doctors are accustomed to managing their patients’ health needs, so involving them would take the burden of scheduling and coordination off people struggling with daily life, she said.

“If you can keep it in primary care and teach them what they need to know… you’re going to prevent these patients falling through the cracks,” she said.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get health news sent straight to your inbox.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Colorado

Westminster man fighting for life after violent assault

Published

on

Westminster man fighting for life after violent assault


Westminster man fighting for life after violent assault – CBS Colorado

Watch CBS News


A Colorado man is still fighting for his life two weeks after an apparent random assault. Westminster police say it happened sometime between 7:20 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. on Oct. 20 near 121st Avenue and Huron Street.

Advertisement

Be the first to know

Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.




Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Colorado

Snow across Colorado, some issues for the morning commute

Published

on

Snow across Colorado, some issues for the morning commute


Snow across Colorado, some issues for the morning commute – CBS Colorado

Watch CBS News


Accumulating snow will continue Sunday night and into the morning commute on Monday across Colorado and portions of Denver.

Advertisement

Be the first to know

Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.




Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Colorado

Colorado attraction makes list of ‘most beautiful places in the United States’ | OutThere Colorado

Published

on

Colorado attraction makes list of ‘most beautiful places in the United States’ | OutThere Colorado


House Beautiful Magazine recently published a list of the most beautiful places to visit in the U.S. The list includes destinations for elaborate road trips and hidden gems across the country. One iconic Colorado attraction made the list.

Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre in Morrison was listed sixth. According to House Beautiful, Red Rocks will “make whatever concert you’re attending one of the best you’ve ever seen.”

The outdoor venue is nested between two red stone cliffs, 6,450 feet above sea level, and can seat over 9,000 people. According to the Amphitheatre’s website, it is a geological phenomenon and the only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world. The venue provides stunning views and allows visitors to see plenty of plants, birds, and animals of the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains.

Advertisement

As well as concerts, Red Rocks hosts events like Yoga on the Rocks, Film on the Rocks, Snowshape Winter Fitness, and more. Check out more information about Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre here.

STAY INFORMED: Get free Colorado news with our daily newsletter (Click here)



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending