CEDARS-SINAI
When COVID-19 arrived in California it was entirely new, exceedingly difficult to manage, and its long-term effects were unknown. When patients who survived the virus began reporting continuous, ongoing symptoms, Cedars-Sinai became one of the first hospitals in the nation to establish a COVID-19 Recovery Program.
The course of treatment in the program begins with a comprehensive in-person evaluation by an expert in infectious diseases or pulmonary medicine. Patients are then referred to a network of specialists that includes cardiologists, pulmonologists, neurologists and psychiatrists. Patients also can gain access to clinical research trials, where they contribute to a deeper understanding of the long-term health effects of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 Recovery Program works closely with two other Cedars-Sinai efforts: The Smidt Heart Institute’s Post-COVID-19 Cardiology Program, which enrolls patients who have been diagnosed with a heart issue associated with their recovery from the virus, and the Department of Medicine’s Post-ICU Clinic, which focuses on respiratory and neurological problems that develop in some intensive care unit patients after they are discharged.
The program’s multidisciplinary depth is key to its success in supporting COVID-19 patients as they cope with a range of significant problems and lingering effects that include shortness of breath, dizziness, brain fog, headaches, fatigue, anxiety, depression and loss of taste or smell.
Cedars-Sinai believes the program is a vital resource for the community, and is committed to its continued viability and success for those who are affected by this lingering virus.
