CHI Well being and Creighton College are working collectively to be taught extra about lengthy COVID signs.
Nebraskans who’ve skilled signs for not less than a month after having COVID are inspired to name a brand new telephone line the 2 organizations have created.
Dr. Renuga Vivekanandan, director of the division of infectious illnesses at CHI Well being and assistant dean at Creighton, mentioned this challenge affords a coordinated approach to perceive extra about lengthy COVID.
“This manner, we might have sufferers come by way of the telemedicine clinic, we might gather the information after which perceive what signs they’re affected by. How lengthy? How will we assist them? she mentioned. “So I believe this can give us a greater thought.”
Following the telephone name, sufferers can have a scheduled telehealth go to with a major care doctor, pulmonologist, or infectious illness doctor. The preliminary telephone name is free. Extra appointments have a price.
Dr. Micheal Schooff, major care medical director at CHI Well being, mentioned that along with analysis, the hotline helps join docs with sufferers who want further care.
“There’s this sense and we hear anecdotally: ‘I nonetheless have signs and nobody can perceive it’ or ‘I have never instructed anybody, I am simply coping with it.’ There’s that feeling on the market,” Schooff mentioned. “We need to encourage individuals, in the event that they assume they’ve one thing to do, to succeed in out, search assist and care for their well being. “We might be completely happy to assist coordinate that for you.”
Signs could embody fatigue, issue respiratory, coronary heart issues, complications, and altered style or odor.
Those that consider they could be affected by lengthy COVID can name the helpline at (402) 818-2002.