Researchers make breakthrough in countering ‘long COVID’

Scientists advise patients to focus on ‘physical activity’ rather than exercise

A new study looking at gradually increasing physical activity during ‘long-term COVID’ has yielded ‘impressive results’. People experiencing a breakdown after a coronavirus disease have hope that scientists will find a way out.

Speaking about a new study based on a “gradual or incremental increase” in the physical activity of a patient with long-term COVID, the Sky News channel cites the example of the British Suzanne Thompson, who lived an active life before contracting the coronavirus.

The woman worked as a general practitioner for 10 hours a day, loved ballet and swam as much as she could. But in 2020, she contracted a lingering COVID and her life was turned upside down: “Now I’m a mom who lies at home in bed while mine are somewhere without me, and it’s very, very hard.”

Around two million people in the UK are currently living with long-term symptoms of COVID, but the ailment is still fraught with many unknowns. For example, there is no standardized test, or even a universally accepted definition of “long covid”.

Suzanne has to come to terms with the symptoms of prolonged COVID. She says that in the beginning it seemed that her physical condition was improving, but realized that the relief she experienced was only temporary: “You have this cycle where one day you are fine and you think: “Oh I’m fine today” so you’re trying to do a little more. You can sit longer, read a fairy tale with your children. But the next day you cannot move. Even the blanket feels too heavy.”

Researchers at the University of Leeds believe their new study could help those suffering from protracted COVID. Scientists have achieved “impressive results” with their long-term COVID program, which was based on a “gradual or incremental increase” in a patient’s physical activity.

The study included 31 people with prolonged COVID symptoms over a period of six weeks. At the beginning of the study, it says that patients reported an average of three “accidents” per week when they remained “physically, emotionally, or cognitively exhausted.” But by the end of the study, that figure had dropped to an average of one “accident” per week.

Dr. Manoj Sivan, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the School of Medicine, led the research project. “When patients have an accident, they experience a feeling of complete exhaustion, they burn out and cannot resume activities for several hours, and sometimes days,” he said. — The results of this study are impressive because this is the first time that accident episodes have been used as a marker of a condition, and a structured pacing program has now been shown to significantly reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.”

But the study emphasizes that the focus should be on “physical activity” rather than exercise, and safety and efficacy should be monitored.

“This study is not about pushing people and forcing them to be active, it’s about gradually returning to activity while following a pacing protocol,” explains Dr. Sivan.

Suzanne Thompson says the study was a positive step in the right direction for her, but adds that much more work needs to be done.

“I got to the point where I don’t know what the future holds for us. Most of all, I respect doctors and trust those doctors who openly say: “We don’t know” … but we can hope.