Professional rehabilitation therapy and traditional Chinese medicine are being introduced by local hospitals to people who are still suffering from post-COVID complications.
Many hospitals have launched special outpatient services, sending leading medical experts to local medical facilities to offer guidance on COVID-19 treatment and post-COVID consultations.
According to the Shanghai Health Commission, a team consisting of 132 top experts from 28 leading hospitals are touring neighborhood health centers in all 16 districts to offer training, consultation and group consultations in order to improve medical capability and encourage patients to undergo treatment and rehabilitation in nearby facilities, instead of going out the way to crowded leading public hospitals.
Meanwhile, a system transferring patients between leading hospitals and grassroots facilities has been established to ensure timely treatment for serious and critical patients, the commission said.
According to Dr Liu Danwei from Shanghai Yida Hospital, the hospital’s outpatient clinic for recovered COVID-19 patients consists of doctors from departments of general medicine, respiratory disease, neurology, TCM, cardiology, health checkups, rehabilitation and radiation.
“Most patients have recovered from COVID-19 infection for two or three weeks. Even though their nucleic acid test or self-antigen test are negative, many complain about various aftereffect,” Liu said. “We will do an overall evaluation on their condition, conduct screening for pneumonia and myocarditis and offer direction on drug use and rehabilitation. A combination of Western and traditional Chinese medicines is highlighted for patients through individualized therapy.”
Dr Wen Li, director of Yida’s TCM department, said the first three months after the nucleic acid test turning negative are the key period, as qi (energy flow) is still weak. So some people can suffer symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, muscle pain, poor appetite, anxiety and insomnia. For patients who were in serious or critical condition, the rehabilitation will be longer due to the damages to the lungs.
“So we will design a comprehensive rehabilitation plan with TCM therapy, diet guidance while combining tuina, acupuncture, cupping and acupoint plaster application as well as guidance on physical exercise to help people regain their qi and body energy,” Wen added.
