A new study in Montreal hopes to better understand the lingering consequences of COVID-19 infections and the impact of the post-COVID syndrome known as long COVID on people’s lives.

“We know that people have a whole range of symptoms and no one really understands why, it’s a whole new problem, so we have to solve it scientifically,” said Dr. Leslie Fellows, professor of neurology at McGill University. and one of the researchers conducting the study. “We’re basically trying to make it easier for patients to partner with us to help us understand their experience in a way that we can use for research.”

The Quebec Action for Post-COVID (QAPC) study is being conducted entirely online by the Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital.

The goal is to identify persistent symptoms people have after COVID-19 infection but also to help people better cope with them.

Isabelle Arseneau-Bruneau, 35, is one of the participants. In the past two and a half years, she says she has caught the virus four times.

She says her infections were more like the flu, but it’s really what happened after that continues to affect her the most.

“I still have pericarditis, I have tachycardia,” Arseneau-Bruneau said. “Of course, being out of breath is a problem.”

Arseneau-Bruneau says she suffers from brain fog, exhaustion and has also developed asthma as well as digestive issues.

“Clearly, everything is more difficult,” said the doctoral student.

People like Arsenea-Bruneau, aged 18 and over who had health problems for more than four weeks after catching the infection, can sign up to participate.

Another condition is that the person’s symptoms cannot be explained by any other diagnosis.

6:00
Woman with long-term COVID says ‘COVID won’t let us go’

Participants will be required to answer questions and take cognitive tests online every three months for 18 months.

“They also have the ability to download a few simple apps that can help us monitor their symptoms day-to-day, week-to-week. They can also give us a more detailed picture of what is going on.

Researchers will track how people are feeling and how their symptoms progress.

They will also offer personalized access to online tools and strategies to help relieve symptoms.

The researchers’ goal is not only to understand the long-term impact of the infection, but also to improve people’s quality of life.

“I think it will be helpful,” Arseneau-Bruneau said. “The more information we can get about this virus and its impact, the better. I think when we are struggling, if we can find a way to benefit from it, it helps psychologically at least.

The study is funded by Les Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé and Scotiabank.

Anyone wishing to learn more or participate can do so via the post-covid.quebec study website or by email: [email protected]

2:01
Ontario researchers zero in on a possible clue to a long COVID

Previous video

Next video