Most people recover after covid-19. “We also know from flu and Q fever that recovery can take a long time, but in the end most of them recover”, says Jako Burgers of the Dutch College of General Practitioners. He estimates that 9 out of 10 people who have complaints for weeks after a year will get rid of it.
People who are hospitalized need time to recover anyway. They have lost muscle strength and weight and need to get back in shape. If necessary, they will be referred to a rehabilitation program or specialist after discharge.
“It is important to tailor the aftercare individually,” says lung specialist Monique Reijers of Radboudumc. She led a working group that drew up a guideline for aftercare after hospital admissions. “There is not one package for everyone. Some people can go home immediately, others cannot. Some people you have to activate, others you have to slow down because they go beyond their limits.”
No physical abnormalities
Ultimately, most people with long-term complaints end up with their doctor. “I estimate that there are now 25,000 to 30,000 people with complaints that last more than 8 weeks and that hinder functioning,” says Burgers.
He mainly sees exhausted people. “They are tired after little exertion, read less quickly, can concentrate poorly and sometimes cannot find words. On physical examination we often find no abnormalities. So we think that something has changed in the cells that we cannot measure. But whether you find something or not: the complaints are real and we have to deal with them. “
Because the recovery can take a long time, Burgers advises not to look too far ahead. “Check it out a week. Try to get meaning and joy from the life you have now, with symptoms. Try to enjoy a walk with your dog and don’t wonder if it ever gets better. If you keep a good rhythm.” with enough exercise and enough rest, you can expect progress. “
Complex problems
Some of the people get stuck. Think of people who cannot find work because of their complaints and then end up in a labor dispute, of self-employed persons who get into financial difficulties because they do not have disability insurance or of people who become lonely because they cannot take up their social life.
People with such complex problems can contact the C-support foundation. It is inspired by Q support; a foundation for people who had complaints after Q fever for a long time. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport has asked the people at Q-support to provide comparable support for people who have long-term complaints after covid-19. The ministry has there a budget of 4.8 million euros for cleared.
Aftercare advisers
Since the start on October 1, more than 400 people have registered, says former general practitioner Alfons Olde Loohuis of C-support. Most of the people who report are between 20 and 55. About 90 percent have not been in hospital.
Olde Loohuis mainly spoke to people with nerve pain, shortness of breath, chest pain, headaches and concentration problems. “We link patients to so-called ‘aftercare advisors’. Together they map out where the limitations lie and where there is room for improvement.”
C-support does not take over regular medical care, but guides patients on the way to recovery. In the event of a labor dispute, an occupational expert can contact the company doctor, for example. But it can also involve assistance with applying for a wheelchair.
Tip of the iceberg
Anticipating a slow recovery is essential, according to Olde Loohuis. “That’s the most important lesson from Q fever. Patients said: ‘If I had known 4 years ago that this fatigue would last so long, I would have adjusted my life sooner.’ This is not to say that complaints after covid-19 also last so long, but some of the people will be on the road for a long time. “
The demand for help is greater than the foundation can handle. So far, about 100 people have been linked to an aftercare advisor. Olde Loohuis expects that C-support can help 50 to 100 people on their way every month.
–
