SARS-CoV-2 Survivors With Chronic Health Conditions: A Pilot Study on “COVID Long-Haulers”

• Published in: Journal of diagnostic medical sonography 2022-11, Vol.38 (6), p.507-515
• Main Authors: Evans, Kevin D., Bloom, Isaiah W., Stigall-Weikle, Nicole, Weaver, Tara, Gunasena, Manuja, Funderburg, Nicholas T., Liyanage, Namal P. M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 8756-4793; 1552-5430
• DOI: 10.1177/87564793221100259

Objective: As the global pandemic resulting from this virus continues, surviving patients continue to report chronic symptoms long after a diagnosis of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). A pilot study was conducted with a convenient sample to ascertain the proper diagnostic testing for detecting chronic disease. Materials and Methods: A convenient group of nine patients were directed by their primary care physician to be evaluated based on a variety of symptoms being reported by those surviving the acute phase of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The patients who volunteered provided sonographic imaging data of the lungs, kidney, and heart. This modified sonographic assessment was completed in a Family Practice office, with a laptop ultrasound equipment system, a blood draw, as well as completion of the EuroQol (EQ-5D) questionnaire. The data were collected as part of the patients 3- to 4-month follow-up primary care visit. Results: In this cohort, six patients were diagnosed and were able to recover at home. The other three patients chose to undergo monoclonal antibody therapy. The two subgroups’ data are provided and describe the types of residual effects that some individuals continue to suffer. Conclusion: Those patients with residual symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 have been dubbed “COVID long-haulers.” This combination of diagnostic tests, specifically renal sonography, flow cytometry, and dynamic sonographic assessment, may hold promise for guiding the treatment and surveillance of these patients.