Plenary: COVID-19 Long Haul Syndrome-Exploring the Controversies and Pathways Forward

Presented by: David Brady, ND, DC, CCN, DACBN, IFMCP, FACN

Panel:
Tom Fabian, PhD, CNTP
Richard Horowitz, MD
Gez Medinger
Bruce Patterson, MD

Post-COVID-19 Syndrome, often known as Long-Haul Syndrome, represents a complex multi-factorial phenomenon that is being observed clinically in a significant percentage of those individuals that have recovered from initial acute COVID-19, but have far from fully recovered. There are millions of people suffering from ongoing persistent fatigue and malaise, joint pain and body aches, tachycardia, headaches, brain-fog, strange neurological symptoms, and many more problems long after the initial illness associated with SARS-CoV2 has passed. They are being observed both in the developed and under-developed world. It is becoming very clear that Long-Haul Syndrome is a complex entity and may represent the result of a "perfect storm" of biological and environmental factors and that a systems-biology approach, utilizing a wider-lens perspective, will be required as these subjects are approached clinically. There exist considerable gaps between the focus of the initial research into this phenomenon and the current approach to these conditions in standard clinical medicine, with standard interventions based predominantly on symptom control.

This expert panel will review the various hypotheses proposed to explain this emerging post-pandemic epidemic. Discussion elements will include an exploration of why some go on to suffer from long-term symptoms, and many do not. The role of the immune system and its complicated reaction and adaptations to SARS-CoV-2, post-viral vascular/endothelial/glycocalyx aberrations, alterations in the GI microbiota and microbial metabolites, molecular mimicry, and other aspects of pathogenesis will also be explored along with how these may serve as leverage points for new diagnostics and clinical interventions.

This presentation was recorded at the 2022 Integrative Healthcare Symposium Annual Conference.