DALLAS (WBAP/KLIF)- Parkland Hospital’s COVID Follow-up Clinic provides multi-specialty care for ongoing symptoms of the virus.
Severe fatigue, shortness of breath, joint pain, muscle aches, weakness and fever, anxiety, depression, brain fog and blood clots aren’t just symptoms plaguing those with active cases of COVID-19. They are also nagging health issues still afflicting many patients weeks and months after they have “recovered” from the disease, along with any medical conditions they had before they became infected with COVID-19.
At Parkland Health & Hospital System, nearly 200 patients have found help at the COVID Follow-up Clinic serving the growing number of people with ongoing medical issues after discharge from the hospital or ER but still in a COVID-contagious time period. Located inside one of the COVID-19 units at Parkland, the clinic opened in July 2020 to provide both virtual and in-person visits, depending upon the patient’s needs. Those coming for face-to-face follow-up care are separated from other populations to prevent spread. The clinic has facilitated more than 400 patient visits with specialists ranging from wound care and oncology nurses to OB/GYNs and advanced practice providers.
“Our goal with the clinic is to help our COVID-19 patients bridge the transition from illness through recovery to a healthy life,” said Monal Shah, MD, Senior Vice President, Chief Physician Advisor and medical director of the COVID Follow-up Clinic at Parkland. “We need to follow these patients very closely to prevent relapse because we know they can decompensate very quickly while still struggling with acute symptoms.”
Follow-up care needs of COVID-19 patients vary widely, according to Ruby Taylor, RN, DNP, Senior Vice President of Nursing Ambulatory Services/Population Health at Parkland. “They can range from pregnant women needing prenatal checkups with an obstetrician to cancer patients due for chemotherapy infusion or a patient dealing with a wound that won’t heal, as well as those with lingering COVID symptoms. We can handle this broad range of needs safely in this clinic.”
Adriana Garcia, 34, of Grand Prairie, was instructed to get a COVID-19 test on the same day she learned that she has breast cancer, “I couldn’t believe my test results. I had no symptoms of the virus. I can’t even tell you where I was exposed to COVID because I don’t know,” she said. Garcia received her first chemotherapy infusion at the COVID Follow-up Clinic, where she can safely receive her cancer treatment until she is no longer deemed potentially contagious. “I’m glad I could start my cancer treatment here without any delay,” she said.
Like Garcia, Stephanie Vasquez, 22, of Irving, has no idea how she contracted COVID-19. At 36 weeks pregnant, she learned that she was COVID-positive after experiencing symptoms including cough and loss of her senses of taste and smell. Vasquez’s prenatal check-ups were provided at the COVID Follow-up Clinic until she was confirmed COVID-negative.
Many patients who had serious conditions prior to contracting COVID-19 are struggling with severe lasting symptoms such as cardio-pulmonary decline, shortness of breath, muscle and joint pain and weakness, Dr. Shah said. Blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, hair loss and other stress-related problems have also been seen in Parkland patients.
“Even some who were previously healthy now have symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. And there is a psychological component. We are seeing people with memory difficulties, anxiety and depression,” Dr. Shah said. “If someone is too ill to return to work, has to stay home and can’t see family or friends they suffer psychologically. There is a social stigma associated with the disease that is isolating, as well.”
Parkland’s recovering patients mirror the reports of ongoing health issues from countries in Europe and Asia. Research from Italy published in the Journal of the American Medical Association recently reported that only 13% of patients were free of symptoms 60 days after their first symptom. Around 85% of people in the study had at least one symptom, with 55% having three or more remaining symptoms and 41% saying they had a reduced quality of life because of the disease.
“We are finding that the long-term health impacts of COVID-19 are very real. We need to take this disease very seriously. There is a lot unknown and much to learn,” Dr. Shah said. Parkland officials expect the COVID Follow-up Clinic will be able to serve 25 or more patients daily.
Future plans include research on the long-term effects of COVID-19 and formation of support groups for patients with ongoing physical and mental health issues resulting from the disease. Despite dealing with breast cancer, Garcia is grateful that COVID-19 didn’t hit her harder. But she urges others not to let their guard down. “Wear your mask, follow the guidelines. Think of your loved ones,” she said. “Do it for them and help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”