Unfortunately, long COVID still places a heavy burden on many B.C. residents, especially those in marginalized communities. This deeply unjust condition falls hardest on people of colour and women. It further impacts non-binary people who express femininely and those who offer unpaid home care. The BC Centre for Long COVID, ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia (BC-CLMF) ‐‐ Bowen Island Today, it provides life-saving remote telehealth specialty care to over 5,200 patients and takes in an average of 25 new patient referrals daily.
Patients looking to relieve the intense impacts of long COVID frequently have to surmount an opaque and confusing healthcare system. Most patients who attend BC-CLMF have seen on average at least two specialists. For example, one Vancouverite had to ask up to 27 different specialists for help before being referred to the clinic. This year-long process is a testament to just how desperately good long COVID care is needed. Those already impacted are failing to receive accurate diagnoses and adequate treatment.
BC-CLMF provides inclusive, trauma-informed, daily online group sessions that address evidence-based and experiential knowledge. These include medications for symptom relief, exercise strategies for chronic conditions, and coping mechanisms for the psychological toll of chronic illness. Because each session can accommodate up to 50 patients, we’re able to foster an even wider exchange of questions, shared experiences and techniques. After a first in person, one-on-one consultation with a physician, patients receive access to the full scope of the clinic’s resources.
The condition itself presents in a number of ways, impacting about 10 percent of patients following viral infections. Recent estimates suggest that at least seven percent of people develop long COVID after an infection. Although this “post-COVID-19 condition” is still being studied, it has been associated with long-term complications like myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
Riel Hahn, a Vancouver-based standup comic, had her day-to-day life turned upside down by long COVID. Now I get so fatigued I can’t walk up the staircase to go to bed at night. I have not been able to shop in a grocery store in 5 1/2 years,” she said. For Vancouverite Alannah Berson, the fight has lasted since March 2020. Though she was suffering, her primary care physician didn’t believe she was experiencing any of these symptoms. “I had to argue with my family doctor for eight months to get them to believe I’m not just tired,” Berson stated.
Dr. Arseneau from BC-CLMF honed in on the intricacies of long COVID diagnosis. “Most patients get an incorrect psychiatric diagnosis before they get a correct medical diagnosis,” he noted. He further indicated that the clinic is innovating ways to deliver reproducible, scalable care to an increasing patient base. “We’ve had to figure out how to provide good care to a large number of patients in a sustainable manner,” he said.
Even with these challenges, Dr. Arseneau is hopeful about the impact of their services. “Our clinic shows we can help patients feel better, cope better, return to work and get into remission.”
With funding shifts on the horizon, British Columbia’s long COVID care remains in a precarious position. As the BC-CLMF enters its next phase, it will remain dedicated to delivering holistic care and raising awareness about the issues surrounding this often-overlooked and misunderstood condition.
