Hello all.
Long, long time away from Taiwan, may be returning in the near future.
I was wondering if anyone can share their experience with long COVID (full blown PASC for years) – its acknowledgement, treatment, etc, specifically in Taipei.
Is this something NTUH, Mackay or other notable hospitals deal with properly as of now? Any clinic particularly created for, or specialized in doing this?
Thanks for any tips and stories you may post, stay well.
Anecdotally: one of my students got caught in the Alpha wave of 2021 (this is before mass vaccination in Taiwan). I can assure you it messed her up. I don’t know if she has received proper care for it.
The health authorities are aware this is a thing, and seem to be collecting data about it in Taiwan, based on this June 2022 report:
I am uncertain if specialized clinics or units are being set up.
Guy
Thanks. If it wasn’t clear from the OP, I was referring to myself, caught original alpha also, “mild case”, and went from perfect health to disabled, entering my third year now.
Few places have resources to set up dedicated departments to this. Mount Sinai in NY is one, for instance. Was just wondering how things were over there.
Would love to know more about this.
Not much to say really. It hits every organ and system, and over time it gets worse, then stabilizes (in my case about a year and a half later, after getting progressively worse), and now you live with heart disease, neurological damage, constant fever, blood clots, liver disease, and every health issue under the sun. All from being fit and healthy, no issues at all, and an initial “mild” infection that wasn’t much worse than a bad cold.
I’ve been lucky that I have not faced the “it’s just anxiety” crap myself because it’s put me in the hospital again and again with very clear and obvious conditions – anxiety does not cause blood clots or liver disease or myocarditis, and more.
And there’s plenty of weird stuff for which they only keep you under observation but can’t even treat the symptom. My body doesn’t regulate temperature very well now for instance, I’ve been in the ER often jumping between hypothermia and fever every few hours, from tremors to sweating as a pig. Sometimes I get the “what did you take? are you using x” question – I don’t even drink. Blood tests set that straight quickly enough.
Here’s a couple of good links on it that I’ve learned to have ready – so many people still aren’t aware of this.
I know COVID took its sweet time to enter Taiwan (good for you!) and you seem to be a year or longer behind when it comes to where most other countries are, but I was hoping this means you’re better prepared by now than others were.
Long Covid seems to be far more prevalent in countries with social welfare systems, Taiwan should be fine.
To the OP: I am very much sorry to hear about your ordeal. After seeing what happened with my student, I cannot accept the snark proffered by people who have not experienced this and breezily dismiss it.
I hope you can continue to get the care you need and get back on your feet. I’ll be rooting for you.
Guy
Thank you.
My question really boils down to, “what happens if I walk into NTUH this fall saying I have PASC [1] and need a doctor to follow my case”?
Not that anybody would know unless sick themselves or knowing someone who is, I guess. I’d really like to know what happened to your student.
[1] Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as defined by the WHO: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8691845/
It looks like the Ministry of Health (MOHW) has set up an integrated outpatient medical care program for patients recovered from Covid-19.
Here is the link in Chinese
https://covid19.mohw.gov.tw/ch/cp-5423-67281-205.html
After a cursory search, not much in English although this announcement about treating Long Covid in Taipei came up on the Taitung County website of all places.
Edit: List of hospitals that have clinics to handle Long Covid
Six hospitals in Taipei have launched special clinics to treat people who suffer from post-COVID-19 conditions, also known as long COVID or chronic COVID.
The medical institutions offering the service include the five branches of Taipei City Hospital (Zhongxing, Renai, Heping, Zhongxiao, and Yangming), National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH), Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Tri-Service General Hospital, Mackay Memorial Hospital, and Wanfang Hospital.
Hope this is helpful and all the best to you.
This is wonderful! Thank you very much.
The main thing me and others have learned the hard way in these past two years, is that jumping from one specialist to another is not very useful, and some of them have trouble dealing with symptoms that falling right into their area of expertise, come from a new disease they know next to nothing about. A coordinated team aware of all that’s going on and not just their specific bit makes the difference.
The most concerning aspect is the long term effects on those that have had Covid and that there are still many things about it that are unknown given that it is a relatively new virus.
It brings to mind the early days of Lyme disease when people were misdiagnosed or it went undetected due to a lack of knowledge and the wide variety of symptoms.
There are two studies of interest about COVID in the long run, however they still need to be peer-reviewed and reproduced / confirmed.
One says reinfections are bad. The risks associated with COVID simply go up the more times you have it.
In short, this is a virus you want to avoid, vaccinated or not, mild or not. It adds up.
The other one, which has just been published and I sure hope is reviewed as soon as possible, indicates those of us with the chronic version of COVID would be like this because we never cleared the virus – it remains hidden (otherwise we’d be permanently positive when tested) which happens with other viruses, not unheard of.
That’s always been one of the theories behind Long COVID.
Another one is that it messes completely our immune system when we’re infected and it is an autoimmune disease, also plausible and with other examples in history. In fact, having an autoimmune disease is a recognized factor of risk for Long COVID.
That’s not unheard of either. Dengue, for example.
Most will be reinfected. It’s something we’ll have to combat via evolution most likely.
I feel a sense of fatigue after three years of not being able to catch this covid bug.
What makes this thing so special that you can all get it multiple times despite how many times you have been vaccinated for it?
What am I missing here?
Must I forever remain the outsider, pariah, heretic, observer?
As humanity descends into long covid, I remain sane.
This is my curse.
Good. With all the f&cked up sh&t the world is facing nowadays, we’ll be needing you and more of you. 
Guy
Some people are naturally immune to specific things. There have been cases of households where everyone was infected multiple times and one person wasn’t.
Be careful not to walk near a lab where they’re looking for someone like you to be dissected and figure out what’s going on … (≧▽≦)
The National Institutes of Health published a study that identified the immune response responsible for brain fog in long COVID.
The scientists found evidence that antibodies—proteins produced by the immune system in response to viruses and other invaders—are involved in an attack on the cells lining the brain’s blood vessels, leading to inflammation and damage.
Apparently, this immune response is probably long term, and it targets the blood-brain barrier, which aside from brain fog, can also lead to colloid osmotic pressure, hemorrhage, and increased chances of a stroke.
Medications can be taken to reduce the symptoms, but not cure it.
“Small study” … “may damage”
So scientifically sound, not.
Has anyone offered money to fund a study into side effects of drugs used to “treat” COVID?
Members of the Taiwan Neurological Society speak:
Guy