TLC Sessions - Living with Long Covid

Dr Ziyad Al-Aly is chief of research and development at the Veteran Affairs St. Louis healthcare system and a clinical epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis.  Direct access to both Long Covid patients and the Veteran Affairs health care records enables Al-Aly to have led some of the most impactful research and studies into Long Covid. From the long term neurological outcomes and the risk of diabetes, to the impact on the heart, Al-Aly’s studies paint a serious picture of the long term damage caused by Covid-19.  And his findings on the risks associated with reinfection would make anyone take measures to avoid contracting the disease.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Dr Benjamin Natelson, professor of neurology and director of the Pain and Fatigue Study Centre at Mount Sinai, has been studying the mechanisms, effects and management of chronic fatigue for almost half a century.  In this week’s conversation he explains how he has used his knowledge to study and treat those with Long Covid.  The recipient of multiple grants, his interest in the immunological and infectious causes of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia enables him to approach Long Covid with a wealth of knowledge, looking at the vagus nerve, blood volume, exercise and sleep, as well as studying Long Covid alongside CFS without a prior Covid-19 infection, to establish the similarities and differences between the conditions.Dr. Natelson is currently running multiple studies into chronic fatigue, alongside several into Long Covid and is looking for patients (within 50 miles of New York).  To take part, please contact his lab or 001-212-844-6665.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

What if there were an activity tracking app designed to monitor and aid recovery from chronic illness, instead of pushing fitness goals?  That is exactly what Long Covid sufferer Harry Leeming conceived with his team at Visible.  Together they have created an activity tracking platform specifically for Long Covid and ME / CFS sufferers to enable them to track and analyse their illness in real time.In this week's episode Noreen and Emily talk to CEO and co-founder Harry, with whom they have become friends through their illness.  Currently in the beta phase, Visible's app is now available to download here, offering sufferers the ability to enter their symptoms, medication, activity levels and check their HRV daily.  This will be partnered early in 2023 with a wearable integration.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

This week, we spoke to Mount Sinai neuroscientist and physical therapist Dr. David Putrino about his latest study on 215 patients.  A collaboration between Mount Sinai and Yale University in the U.S., Putrino worked with immunologist Akiko Iwasaki to see if they could find any ‘Distinguishing features of Long COVID identified through immune profiling’.  The study brought to light some potentially useful biomarkers and certainly highlighted areas for further research such as T-cells,  interleukins and hormone levels.  Putrino explains how this hypothesis-generating study is a jumping off point for his and other labs, puts into perspective the cortisol-level findings that media were quick to jump on, and urges two things - further research and listening to patients.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Dr David Strain is a titan in the Long Covid research and clinical field.  With the ability to boil down complex medical theory and research into very comprehensible explanations, Dr Strain explains HRV and how we can use it to monitor and potentially manage our symptoms.  He talks us through vagal tone, the impact of vaccines and COVID-19 strains on Long Covid and we ask whether the increased incidence of strokes, diabetes, dementia and heart attacks could all be classified as a version of Long Covid.  We also discuss Dr Strain’s current research (Sano GOLD study) into genetics and the role they might play in the development of Long Covid and our ability to treat the condition. Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Amiad Abrahams, a Health Psychologist, the Deputy Lead for North West London's Long Covid Psychology service, understands the effect that the mind and Mindfulness can have on patients with acute and chronic conditions.  Since mid 2020 he has been leading “COMFORT” – a group Mindfulness course offered by St Mary’s Hospital.  In this week’s episode he talks us through the power that the mind can have on the body, and the impact that chronic illness can have on the mind, aiming to "de-psychologise Long Covid, whilst psychologising life itself".Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Professor Doug Kell is a systems biologist who has been studying anomalous clotting for many years, and since the pandemic began has turned his knowledge, working alongside Prof. Resia Pretorius, to explore the theory of microclots in Long Covid patients.  In this week's episode Prof. Kell explains to us the way in which these clots form, his theories behind what is occurring, and what are the current, albeit anecdotal, treatment strategies.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Dr Tae Chung runs the POTS clinic at John Hopkins University.  Approaching this with his two specialties- neuromuscular and physical medicine and rehabilitation - he treats POTS patients, and those with Long Covid POTS, with a combination of functional exercises, alongside blood volume expansion and medication.  In this week's episode he talks to us about his experience,  working with his MDT, treating thousands of POTS and Long Covid POTS patients.  He explains the paradox of 'exercise' when it comes to treating our illness, discusses how our nervous system is affected,  and we hear the effective strategies he is using.  His work has led him to the belief that Long Covid, certainly in instances of POTS, may be autoimmune driven and he is now involved in a phase two clinical trial using drugs that target autoantibodies.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

With the established medical system offering few options to treat Long Covid holistically - most sufferers are at best only being offered symptom management - many are turning to alternative therapies.  This week we spoke to Joachim Gerlach, chairman of Vedicinals, who have developed the nutraceutical Vedicinals9 for the treatment of acute and Long Covid.  This nutraceutical, consisting of nine bio-active molecules targeting specific pathways, draws on traditional ayurvedic medicine alongside modern science to offer a supplement which, from pre-clinical and clinical trials, seems to be having a positive effect.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions

Dr Eric Feigl-Ding was one of the first public health scientists to raise the alarm as COVID-19 took hold.  Often several steps ahead of the policy-makers, Feigl-Ding shares with us his view that Long Covid looks to be an immuno-compromised state, not dissimilar to that caused by HIV.  Could this explain other current outbreaks - summer flu, monkeypox, Hepatitis?   He believes so.  In this wide-ranging interview we take a look at the world's response to the pandemic and how we are going to need to wake up to the slow-burn that is Long Covid.Living with Long Covid? How was your week?Website - https://www.tlcsessions.net/Twitter - @SessionsTlc https://twitter.com/sessionstlcInsta - @tlcsessions https://www.instagram.com/tlcsessions