Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital

Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital opened the Post Covid-19 Clinic that can test and treat Long COVID aftereffects to help patients return to their normal lives.

Long COVID refers to various type of long-term aftereffects of coronavirus such as extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, coughing, phlegm, chest pain, brain fog, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, joint pain, headache, changes to sense of smell or taste.

The new multidisciplinary clinic provides patients with a one-stop service so that patients can have the results of blood tests, chest X-rays, and chest CT scanning and see the doctors on the day of their visit.

When symptoms after the infection do not improve for more than 4 weeks, long COVID is suspected. It is more common in patients who have experienced severe symptoms. Various symptoms such as fatigue, muscle pain, chest pain, or cognitive impairment as well as pulmonary diseases such as coughing or difficulty breathing can occur.

Some patients may have progressed to cryptogenic organizing pneumonia(COP). COP is known to be caused by an inflammatory process by non-specific lung damage related to viral infections such as COVID-19.

“Among the patients visiting our clinic, there is a possibility that there were symptoms other than aftereffects of COVID-19 infection, such as pneumonia and tuberculosis, or underlying diseases such as asthma, epilepsy, and COPD that they did not know,” said Professor Sang Hyuk Kim of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine. He added, “The most important thing is finding the exact cause of the symptoms through tests and making the best treatment plan by accurate diagnosis.”

Pediatric patients who visit the Post Covid-19 Clinic of the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine often show gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain as well as coughing and phlegm. In particular, parent’s careful observation is highly required due to the fact that the pediatric patient who usually suffered from asthma or other allergic diseases can worsen their symptoms. The Pediatric Post Covid-19 Clinic also offers test and treatment services on the day of the visit.

“Some kids are diagnosed with asthma that they didn’t know before. Since the aftereffects of the pediatric patients can be different from those of adult patients, accurate diagnosis, test and observation are crucial,” said Professor Eun Kyo Ha of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

“We will focus not only on the prevention of the infection and treatment of COVID-19 patients but also on treating the aftereffects of COVID-19,” said Director Young-Goo Lee of the hospital.

By Jonghun Im, Int’l Cooperation Team, HUMC (imjonghun@hallym.or.kr)