Tuberculosis and Lessons for Long Covid Recovery

I recently read a social media post that got me thinking. It drew together different connections that I had not fully put together in my mind - weaving together the history of the region where I live with the work that Andrea and I are doing to support people impacted by Long Covid.

The post was about parallels between tuberculosis and Long Covid. There may not be an obvious connection at first pass, but on reflection this resonated. The post was sharing frustration that treatment options for Long Covid are not widely available - there is no one and done cure, specialist clinics have long wait lists or it is challenging to travel to them. Further, many people and clinicians aren’t aware of some of the solutions that are helping people, so many are still unsure of what actions they can take to help themselves feel better.

The post’s author went on to say that the Long Covid recovery advice that many people are left with reminded them of the experience of people with tuberculosis faced in the days before penicillin was available. Before that, tuberculosis treatment consisted of bedrest, fresh air and the hope that people’s bodies would do the rest. For people with less means this often meant resting in tuberculosis wards near to where they lived. For people with means, “The Cure”, involved traveling to mountain and lakeside retreats to take in fresh air and sunshine - giving their body space and rest to heal. This meant certain places with these natural resources experienced an influx of well off people who came to convalesce, breathe in the pure air and give their body an opportunity to tackle the infection.

 
Image courtesy of Saranac Lake Free Library 

The next village over from where I grew up, and where Andrea and I now live, was renowned as a place to “take The Cure”. This legacy is still visible in the architecture and in some of the work that people in the community do. It is filled with beautiful old homes that have large porches, many built as boarding houses to support and care for people with Tuberculosis. Before penicillin, some people recovered, others not. There were also larger centers for care in the region that were dedicated to ensuring those with more limited means also had access. Regardless of someone’s wealth, there wasn’t a systematic way to move people through a recovery timeline and help them get better. So alongside this care also came a legacy of science and excellence; of people working to find a solution to a range of respiratory illnesses and issues related to the immune system.

This legacy of a mountain town “Cure” was on my mind when I first became sick with Covid in March 2020 and then experienced Long Covid. This was especially true when it became apparent that a solution to help people facing Long Covid was not immediately available. Much like the post suggested, people with Long Covid had few solutions but to try to breathe, rest and hope their body self-corrected.     

In my case, I had years of experience living outside of the mountains and then returning to visit. I knew that I functioned at my best while I was in and among the peaks - regardless of which country they were in. I had the privilege of being able to move to a wonderful mountain town. Initially I was working, but was then able to take time to really focus on healing. In the mountain air I found the space to dive into research, listen to my body and work out options that would help me manage Long Covid symptoms. I discovered an evidence-based approach to heal. And through connecting with Andrea, developed new ways to accelerate that improvement.

As we developed solutions, we have also been mindful of our own experience of not always living in places that had access to the natural world. Many people have become passionate about the healing power of things like cold water swimming or walking in natural spaces. There is evidence that these are helpful for the nervous system alignment, and can help people to manage symptoms. From my experience supporting complex care development in East London, I know very clearly that not everyone has easy access to those types of amenities. Similar to tuberculosis, the important questions to ask when considering how to support people with Long Covid are (i) how do you develop solutions that offer a more systematic path to improvement; and (ii) how do you develop solutions that are accessible (including to people who have difficulty leaving their homes)? 

Looking at the evidence, the good news is you do not need to live in a mountain retreat to be able to find solutions. It is possible to take simple steps, from wherever you live, to help calm the nervous system, help manage Long Covid symptoms and build a foundation to feel better and build abilities. The dissemination of these types of tools will help bring more people back to health more quickly. And, hopefully, like tuberculosis, make Long Covid something that no longer involves an uncertain and open ended recovery process.

Warmly,
Katie