'Like you are carrying around extra weight on your body': UNC treats 1,000th COVID long hauler

The University of North Carolina’s COVID Recovery Clinic has treated its 1,000th COVID-19 long-hauler.

UNC estimates 10-30% of COVID-19 survivors experience lingering symptoms or health effects, a condition known as “long COVID.”

“Long COVID is still being defined,” said UNC COVID Recovery Clinic Founder Dr. John Baratta.

The most common persistent symptoms for COVID long-haulers include fatigue, shortness of breath, weakness, headaches, “brain fog” (reduced attention or memory), anxiety and depression.

Goldsboro woman explains what it’s like to have long COVID

Becky Babel of Goldsboro explained what it’s like to have “long COVID.” She was initially diagnosed with COVID-19 in February 2021, which was before she was eligible to get vaccinated. Babel still has symptoms 15 months later.

"It's almost like you are carrying around extra weight on your body,” Babel said. “It's like a bone tiredness."

Before Babel’s diagnosis, she worked two full-time jobs and was in graduate school. Now, she’s mostly homebound and receiving disability. Babel earns about half her salary, which has been a financial strain.

“I feel like my life is on hold,” she said.

The UNC COVID Recovery Clinic opened in March 2021. In June 2021, Babel saw doctors at the UNC COVID Recovery Clinic for the first time. She’s seen improvement, but she is still not back to normal.

“I am not working at all,” Babel said. “I can’t work. I want to work, but I can’t.

“It is very difficult for me.”

Prior to infection, Babel suffered from weak knees, arthritis and Fibromyalgia.

Twice as many women treated at UNC COVID Recovery Clinic than men

UNC’s COVID Recovery clinic provided the following data on the types of patients it is treating:

• 90% of patients at the clinic were not vaccinated before they caught COVID
• 70% are women
• More than 30% of the patients were completely healthy before their COVID infection

"One suggestion is that women are frequently more affected by autoimmune and inflammatory conditions, and these are a couple of reasons why long COVID may occur [at a higher rate in woman than men],” Baratta said.

Baratta said the UNC COVID Recovery Clinic is for adults 18 and older, but doctors have treated patients as young as 13 years old. The oldest patients are in their 80s, he said.

UNC COVID Recovery Clinic doctors have treated people from 75 counties in North Carolina and 12 states.

"Relatively speaking, this is still a very new syndrome,” Baratta said.

The clinic has a dedicated medical staff, including three physicians, a nurse practitioner, nurse coordinator, social worker and 10 therapists.

"Most all of the patients we've seen in our program have made improvements with time, and I think that's really encouraging,” Baratta said.

Baratta explained how the clinic sometimes uses medicines to help with breathing, energy, alertness and pain.

“We do sometimes use medicines, too, to help with energy and alertness, and we have seen that to be more helpful as time has gone on,” Baratta said.

While some patients, like Babel, try over-the-counter supplements and homeopathic remedies, Baratta said there is a lack of evidence that they will cure long COVID symptoms.

"It does seem that having been vaccinated is protective against long COVID,” Baratta said. “That's an important thing to keep in mind."