MEDFORD, Ore. — Since the beginning of the pandemic, many new words and phrases have been added into our daily lives. A fairly new term is ‘COVID-19 long haulers.’ These are people who are still experiencing symptoms months after they had the virus.
“Each patient has sort of their own unique combination of symptoms they are experiencing,” said Dr. Eric Herman with OHSU. He is dedicated to helping COVID-19 long haulers.
He says 10 to 30 percent of COVID-19 patients are long haulers. “People complain of being short of breath, like they’re air hungry,” said Dr. Herman. This is where OHSU comes in. It is launching a COVID-19 long hauler program to better serve these types of patients.
“One of our main treatment plans is a rehabilitation program to get them back to their activity level,” said Dr. Herman. Even though OHSU is located in Portland, the program is focusing on its telehealth approach.
“We’re eager to help primary care physicians in Medford and other local communities help their patients directly,” said Erik Robinson with OHSU. The program saw its first patients last week and is currently helping existing OHSU patients. It plans to expand and help any long haulers in the state.
If you are interested in making an appointment or are interested in basic information and guidance, you can call the OHSU COVID-19 Connected Care Center Hotline at 833-OHSU-CCC or 833-647-8222.
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