Why Do I Need to Prove That I Have Post-Covid Syndrome?

When something is not right with your body, you feel it and if it is visible on the outside doctors believe you. But what do you do when you have a raving pandemic going on, the after effects of the disease may not be visible immediately.

Post Covid Syndrome is a novel post viral syndrome because the disease itself is new. Many patients who have consulted a doctor regarding Post Covid Syndrome have been met with disbelief. Most of the times, doctors tell the patients that it's all in their heads.

This has been so difficult for Covid long-haulers that they have been seeking support from others on social media. Groups like the Survivor Corps and Body Politic are helping people feel understood.

It can feel a bit like being gaslighted when someone else tells you that you’re imagining your pain. In the UK 700,000 people are Covid long haulers who have been suffering for almost a year now.

Previous viral epidemics of SARS and MERS left many people suffering from post-viral syndromes long after they had recovered. And just like those patients had some common symptoms, Post-Covid Syndrome has 5 symptoms which are common -

• Breathlessness

• Loss of taste

• Fatigue

• Pain

• Brain fog

• Anxiety & depression

The different symptoms people are experiencing are a long list to keep track of. This makes it difficult for doctors to come up with a treatment protocol for this disease. Regular diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, lung infections etc. have established treatment protocols but Post-Covid treatment is just limited to symptom management.

Some people have such bizarre symptoms that doctors are dumbfounded. That’s why Covid long-haulers require a team of specialists to manage these various symptoms.

Many patients are maintaining an online journal of their symptoms which can be referenced by other patients too. These long haulers have formed support groups to keep each other informed about their experiences and recommended treatments.

This has helped the medical community recognise Post-Covid Syndrome as a legitimate condition. There has also been evidence of an unconscious bias based on the person’s race, gender and financial status. Historically, women, people of color, poor people are not taken seriously in the medical community. Most of the time, they are dismissed or told that they are imagining things.

Long Covid SOS is an advocacy group in the UK formed so that the government would recognise Post-Covid syndrome as a serious condition. Many such organizations across the world to help patients navigate the medical and legal affairs for long-Covid.

If you or anyone you know is suffering from Post-Covid Syndrome,
call us today at (469) 545-9983 to book an appointment with our specialists.