Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1273352
22 PATIENT & CAREGIVER EXPERIENCE 'This virus has ruined my life': COVID-19 can last months By Mackenzie Bean T housands of young, previous- ly healthy people with mild COVID-19 cases have had symp- toms persist for several months, accord- ing to e Atlantic. About 80 percent of people who contract COVID-19 have mild or asymptomatic cases, according to the World Health Or- ganization. A minority of people — typi- cally those who are older or have preexist- ing conditions — require critical care. But there is a separate category of patients experiencing severe, prolonged symptoms, who remain largely absent from public discourse, according to e Atlantic. e publication interviewed nine such patients, many of whom are young, were previously fit and never required intensive care or ventilation. Some of them have had COVID-19 symptoms such as fatigue or difficulty breathing for up to three months, making it difficult for them to exercise, cook or perform other simple tasks. "It is mild relative to dying in a hospital, but this virus has ruined my life," Vonny Leclerc, a Scotland-based journalist who's had symptoms for more than two months, told e Atlantic. "Before this, I was a fit, healthy 32-year- old. Now I've been reduced to not being able to stand up in the shower without feeling fatigued." e patients said their unique circum- stances have oen been met with disbelief from friends and medical professionals. "It feels like no one understands," said Chloe Kaplan, a resident of Washington, D.C., who's also had prolonged symp- toms. "I don't think people are aware of the middle ground, where it knocks you off your feet for weeks, and you neither die nor have a mild case." n 5 ways to safeguard clinician well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic By Anuja Vaidya H ealthcare workers will be the ones to bear the brunt of the long-term physical and mental effects of the coronavirus pandemic, and there needs to be a comprehensive strategy to protect their well-being during and after the pandemic, three physicians wrote in a perspective piece published by The New England Journal of Medicine. Victor J. Dzau, MD, Darrell Kirch, MD, and Thomas Nasca, MD, from the Nation- al Academy of Medicine's Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience, wrote the article. They suggested five organizational and national strategies to protect clinician well-being: 1. Integrate the work of chief wellness officers or clinician well-being pro- grams into organizational decision-making bodies during the crisis. 2. Establish anonymous reporting mechanisms that allow clinicians to advo- cate for themselves and their patients without fear of retribution. 3. Work to maintain and grow existing well-being programs. 4. Provide federal funding to care for clinicians who experience physical and mental health struggles post-pandemic. 5. Allocate federal funding to set up a national tracking program to mea- sure clinician well-being and track the outcomes of interventions to improve well-being. n Most Americans say they'll continue self-care after pandemic, survey shows By Anuja Vaidya M ost U.S. adults (80 percent) said they will keep practicing self- care regularly after the pandemic ends, according to a survey released June 3. The survey, conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of Samueli Integrative Health Programs, polled more than 2,000 adults in May. Samueli Integra- tive Health Programs, part of the Samueli Foundation, focuses on increas- ing awareness of and access to resources to improve personal health and well-being. About 35 percent of respondents said compared to before the pandemic they are practicing more creative activities; 31 percent said they are praying more; and another 31 percent said they are engaging in more meaningful conversa- tions with friends and family. About 25 percent report that they are spending more time outdoors or eating healthy foods more. But nearly half of Americans (44 percent) say they wish they had more guid- ance and support for practicing self-care during the pandemic. n