Fatigue, concentration problems, muscle weakness and sensory overload: many people still experience persistent symptoms after a coronavirus infection. This is known as post-covid. Recovery remains uncertain and is rarely complete. New research shows that people with post-covid value recognition and support at least as highly as medical treatment itself. In addition, nutrition can play a supportive role in recovery. PhD candidate Anne Slotegraaf describes these findings in the doctoral thesis she defends today.
Slotegraaf proudly holds up her thesis. The cover features the spike protein-covered virus that everyone knows today: SARS-CoV-2. White lines form a recognisable maze, a reference to how people with post-covid (or long covid) often lose their way in the healthcare system. “This does not only apply to patients, but also to healthcare professionals,” says Slotegraaf. Post-covid does not present as a single, clearly defined disease with one solution. Instead, it is a multisystem condition that manifests itself differently in each individual. That complexity makes post-covid particularly challenging, for both patients and healthcare providers.
Plateau in recovery
In 2020, the Dutch government introduced a scheme to provide people with post-covid symptoms with additional reimbursed care (Paramedical recovery care). But an important question was: does this care actually help? To help answer that question, Slotegraaf followed 1,451 people with post-covid for one year. All participants used the paramedical recovery care scheme and received treatment from professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and dieticians. Participants performed fitness tests and filled in detailed questionnaires every three months.
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