The Atlantic: Unlocking the Mysteries of Long COVID

With the growing concern over long COVID, many individuals worry about possible treatments due to the diversity of symptoms experienced. Doctors at Mount Sinai, however, may have a breakthrough. Upon reviewing patient symptoms, doctors discovered that many patient conditions seemed to be some form of dysautonomia, a phenomenon where a patient’s nervous system cannot maintain normal body function (blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, etc). Despite this connection, not all patients fit the mark.

Through further consideration, doctors soon realized that patients at Mount Sinai’s post-COVID facility had irregular breathing patterns and low CO2 levels when first admitted. As a result, doctors have begun some preliminary therapies utilizing “breathwork.” Through breathwork, patients control their inhalation and exhalation to improve their physical and mental well-being. While no official studies have been conducted yet and conclusions cannot be made, the success in some preliminary pilot programs are a sense of comfort and hope during a time in which much uncertainty surrounds the long-term effects of COVID-19. To read the full story by Meghan O’Rourke at the Atlantic, click here. To learn more about COVID-19 click here.