It has been estimated that 10 to 20 percent of people that get Covid will develop long Covid symptoms that include shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, brain fog (inability to focus and concentrate), anxiety and depression. Fatigue is the most common symptom, reported in 65 percent of patients, and is often severe. The age group with long Covid are typically employed, so their ability to earn income is affected.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a medical treatment administered in a chamber in which the patient breathes 100 percent oxygen under pressure. This stimulates stem cell production by 800 percent and is a very potent anti-inflammatory. It is extremely safe and effective and has been shown to be effective in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome, which has many similarities to long Covid.

Currently, the treatment options for long Covid are limited or non-existent. In a study published in Royal College of Physicians Clinical Medicine, patients with long Covid symptoms lasting longer than three months were treated with 10 (HBOT) sessions at 2.4 atmospheres absolute (ATA) in 12 days. The study reported substantial improvement in all categories. Many patients reported that their lives had been transformed (www.tinyurl.com/RoyalCollegeLongCovid). 

In a more recent study, leading world hyperbaric researcher Dr Shai Efrati and team conducted a randomized controlled double-blind long Covid study. They reported that the virus enters the brain through the cribriform plate above the nose. With a treatment protocol of 40 (HBOT) sessions, they reported actual repair of the virus-caused damage to the brain as well as excellent improvements in all measured functions (www.tinyurl.com/HBOTforLongCovid). 

Dr. Roger Hunter is the owner of Nirvana Hyperbaric Institute, located at 146 Medical Park Rd., Ste. 110, in Mooresville. For a free consultation or more information, call 704-471-4100 or visit www.NirvanaHBO.com.