The Long Satellite Clinic in the Chaudière-Appalaches region opened its doors on March 30, at the Physical Disability Rehabilitation Center in the Charny sector of Lévis.
This clinic will allow people with COVID-19 to stabilize their symptoms and better manage outbreaks as they occur.
Users will be offered various services, such as group workshops on symptoms and issues related to the prolonged virus. Many multidisciplinary services are provided mainly in tele-rehabilitation by professionals, such as occupational therapist, physiotherapist, and social worker.
“There will be a lot of teaching to many users at the same time online. People will also be face-to-face, but a good part will be done online,” says Mireille Goudreau, spokeswoman for CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches.
To date, about 40 patients have been admitted to this clinic.
We have a department target of 500 [usagers] For our clinic, but we don’t really know how many users we’ll have, because it will depend on the doctors’ references that we’ll get,” the spokesperson specifies.
To take advantage of the clinic’s services, users must have been referred by a doctor or specialist front-line nurse. They must also have persistent symptoms after the first episode of the illness and affect their daily functioning.
According to CISSS-CA, the most common symptoms of prolonged coronavirus are fatigue, breathing difficulties, and cognitive difficulties. About 15% of people who catch COVID-19 have persistent symptoms for more than 12 weeks after the initial infection.
June for Quebec
For the Capitale-Nationale region, the long Covid clinic must start services during the month of June.
“Front line consultations, for example by a nurse, will be conducted virtually or by phone given the long fatigue of people affected by the virus. If symptoms persist, users will be referred to CHU de Québec-Université Laval or to the IUCPQ “, specifies Annie Ouellet, spokeswoman for CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
Nationwide, 1.4 million Canadian adults have reported symptoms at least three months after they tested positive for covid-19 or after infection was suspected, according to Statistics Canada.
The most common persistent symptom was fatigue, followed by coughing, shortness of breath and ‘mental fog’.
“Food trailblazer. Passionate troublemaker. Coffee fanatic. General analyst. Certified creator. Lifelong music expert. Alcohol specialist.”