Desperate Long Covid Patient Paid Thousands for Unproven Blood Screening Treatment: Report
A new investigative report out Tuesday found that long-standing COVID-19 patients are traveling overseas to try expensive and untested treatments for their symptoms, including screening their blood. But at least some experts are concerned about the trend, warning that this treatment lacks solid evidence to support its claimed benefits. The report is a collaboration between The BMJ and ITV News. The authors visited or interviewed patients who went to clinics in Cyprus, Germany and Switzerland hoping to find relief for lingering post-covid symptoms. These symptoms tend to include, but are not limited to, persistent fatigue, breathing problems, and cognitive dysfunction, or brain fog. The main treatment offered by this clinic is called apheresis. The patient’s blood is drawn, which is then “washed” and broken down into its different components of plasma and red blood cells. The blood is then recombined and finally given back to the patient via a different vein. The treatment is supp