In the July/August, 2021 Monitor on Psychology there is an article on COVID-19 long-haulers. It reported that many are experiencing the residual symptoms of COVID-19. There are a variety of such symptoms, which can include brain fog, fatigue, breathing difficulties, memory deficits, sleep disruptions, anxiety, and depression, For some the long-hauler symptoms are more debilitating than the actual illness itself. The long-term effects of COVID-19 can impact relationships, jobs, future plans, and mental health.
The current estimate is that there are 3.2 million Americans who are experiencing the symptomatic after-effects of COVID-19. As many as one-third of them have neurological or psychological diagnoses, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD, and psychosis. In spite of the large numbers of long-haulers, only a few long care COVID units exist, usually only in cities with large medical centers. The good news is that in February, 2021, the National Institutes of Health have been funded to study how the virus and its effects interact with mental and neurological health.
A psychologist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago said that, at this time, ""There is no magic treatment, there is no surgery, there is no pill that we can give that will instantaneously alleviate all these symptoms "" (p. 65). However she recommended that early intervention can present practical suggestions that will make better outcomes. These suggestions best come from collaborations among psychologists, physicians, and other medical specialties like physical, occupational, speech, and cognitive therapists. She assured that there can be full and productive lives post-COVID, but these lives may look somewhat different than before the pandemic.
REFERENCE
Schreiber, M. (2021). Treating patients with COVID. Monitor on Psychology, 52(5), pp. 62-69.