A support group has been established in northern Colorado to help individuals dealing with long COVID. The Long COVID Information, Discussion and Support (IDS) group meets monthly at UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. The sessions are held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month.
Dr. Matthew Light, a pulmonary disease and critical care medicine specialist at UCHealth Pulmonology Clinic – Greeley and Loveland, co-facilitates the group along with Michaela Martinez, a registered nurse and clinical educator with UCHealth.
“There are lots of patients with long COVID. It is more common than people think,” said Dr. Light. “We want to provide a place to discuss long COVID and share symptoms. There is no specific treatment per se (for long COVID), so this group can share what works and doesn’t — bring individual experiences and insights and meld this into what we know in the medical field.”
“It will be a two-way street of sharing,” he said. “A place to talk about experiences and heal as a group.”
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Long COVID Household Pulse Survey conducted in October 2023, over 15% of adults in Colorado have reported experiencing long COVID.
Symptoms associated with long COVID can include chronic fatigue, neurological issues such as brain fog or dizziness, vision changes, hearing loss or ringing in the ears, loss of taste or smell, neck pain or thyroid swelling, shortness of breath or chronic cough, chest pain or irregular heartbeat, digestive problems like diarrhea or constipation, shaking hands or swelling in limbs, menstrual changes or erectile dysfunction, rashes or hair loss, and muscle aches.
“They know something is wrong but don’t know what it is, and many have not sought treatment,” Light said.
The support group is open to anyone experiencing lingering symptoms from COVID-19 regardless of whether they have received an official diagnosis.
“We want to provide an extra layer of support for this population,” said Michaela Martinez. “(People with long COVID) often get lost in the system. They go to an appointment and talk through their symptoms, but then they are told ‘OK, we will see you in six weeks,’ and they’re left at home to suffer.”
“This is that next layer of support, a place to get credible information on what they are dealing with and different ways to deal with it.”
The IDS group also welcomes friends and family members of those affected by long COVID. Participants can suggest discussion topics online before meetings or reach out via email for more information.
