Saint Peter's In New Brunswick Treating COVID 'Long Haulers'

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — Did you have the coronavirus, recovered and yet still are experiencing lingering symptoms?

This August, Saint Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick announced it has created a specialized COVID-19 Recovery Program, to treat patients who recovered from COVID-19, but continue to experience long-term symptoms, such as shortness of breath, digestive problems and fatigue. Many hospitals and doctors in the U.S. are treating these issues, but Saint Peter's appears to be one of the first in New Jersey to launch a formal program.

University Hospital in Newark and the Hackensack Meridian health system have also launched similar programs to treat long-term COVID symptoms.

It's a growing phenomenon: The CDC released this report at the end of July found that up to a third of COVID patients — who were never hospitalized — are still struggling with long-term symptoms, such as a cough and lack of energy. They call themselves "long haulers."

And yes, some of those "long haulers" include teens and young adults who recovered from the virus.

Long-term symptoms COVID survivors are reporting include shortness of breath, lack of energy, chest pain, cough, leg swelling, stomach pain and weight loss, among others.

"While some patients feel better sooner, there are others that are experiencing lasting symptoms," said Amar Bukhari, MD, chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine at Saint Peter's. "To complicate matters, these symptoms can vary in intensity and duration from patient to patient; what we've noticed is that no two cases present the same."

Additionally, many COVID-19 patients continue to experience lung, heart and behavioral health issues, among others, during recovery. Specialists participating in Saint Peter's COVID-19 Recovery Program will include pulmonologists, cardiologists, neurologists and others.

The hospital also wants to collect as much data as it can to further study the mysterious virus, about which still so much is unknown.

"We want to help patients feel better by effectively managing any lasting effects of the disease," said Nilam Srivastava, MD, chief of internal medicine at Saint Peter's. "We are collecting data to gain a better understanding of the disease overall and its long-term effects. This data will support our outreach efforts to not only better serve at-risk individuals, but to educate them on warning signs."

All patient information will be kept confidential.

For additional information about Saint Peter's COVID-19 Recovery Program, please contact the COVID Recovery line at 732-745-8552, saintpetershcs.com or call 732-745-8600. You will be asked to set up your first telemedicine appointment.

Saint Peter's doctors will work with your primary care physician to come up with a treatment plan.

Patients participating in St. Peter's COVID-19 Recovery Program also have the choice to donate plasma, further promoting COVID-19 medical research, through the Mayo Clinic's Convalescent Plasma Therapy Research program.

Mayo Clinic is collecting plasma therapy samples from 2,637 sites nationwide. Convalescent blood plasma donations are currently being accepted through the New York Blood Center and American Red Cross.

"My advice for anyone who previously tested positive for COVID-19 is to schedule a telemedicine appointment to learn more about the program and its benefits," said Dr. Bukhari. "Don't delay in seeking immediate help. All information will be kept confidential and that we're here to help them get better and stay better."