November 2023 Newsletter

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, people are trying to navigate a new normal. For some, not a lot has changed. For others, their whole life has been flipped upside down. 

Jennifer Abeles, DO, and Trudy Stern, NP, sat down with Spectrum News and one of the Recovery Center's patients to discuss what you can expect when visiting the Recovery Center, and to let long COVID sufferers know that help is available in Western New York.

UBMD's Long COVID Recovery Center in Buffalo, NY, the only one outside of New York City, aims to help those experiencing long COVID. Patients are recruited from the Western New York Community-Based Long COVID Registry.

You don't need insurance to be scheduled at the center. 

Getting help is just a phone call away. Contact Trudy at (716) 323-0674 and register on the long COVID registry to schedule an appointment.

Sanjay Sethi, MD, and Jennifer Abeles, DO, co-directors of Western New York's first long COVID center, talk about the services they provide to people with lingering symptoms from the COVID-19 virus and how they hope their work informs best practices elsewhere. 

WellNow Urgent Care is now offering a clinical trial opportunity at its East Amherst location, located at 5965 Transit Road, East Amherst, NY 14051. You may be eligible for this opportunity if you tested positive (+) for COVID-19 more than three months ago, continue to have cough, and have 2 of the 3 following symptoms:

• fatigue
  
• shortness of breath
• cognitive dysfunction (brain fog)

If you are interested, please contact:
Sarah Pollock @ 937-912-4364 / sarah.pollock@wellnow.com
Irine at WellNow Recruiting @ 315-308-2451

According to new research published in Cell, patients with long COVID may exhibit a reduction in circulating levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. This study, led by researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, sheds new light on the mechanisms of how persistent inflammation after the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause long-term neurological symptoms. With recent long COVID research focusing on biomarkers, the study aimed to identify if replenishing serotonin in patients who exhibit deficiencies could treat long COVID symptoms, specifically, persistent inflammation, vagus nerve dysfunction and neurological symptoms. There is evidence to suggest that SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) could be effective in preventing long COVID, and the new study proves that the same mechanism may help relieve these long COVID symptoms.

David Putrino, a neuroscientist at Mount Sinai, has five tips:

1. Rest and pace yourself – Be aware of what your limits are and don’t push yourself beyond them to avoid crashing.

2. Get evaluated for dysautonomia – Dysautonomia, a nervous system disorder, is a common cause of some of long COVID’s disruptive symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat and dizziness.

3. Mind your mast cells – Mast cells are allergy cells, which are part of the immune system. When they’re stimulated, they create inflammation and release many chemicals that can affect the skin, gastrointestinal tract, heart, respiratory, and neurologic systems.

4. Put your breath to work – Use breathwork for managing symptoms.

5. Reach out for help – For caregivers and friends of people with long COVID, or anyone with a chronic disease, make an effort to connect with a loved one with long COVID.

You can now find UBCoV, University at Buffalo's Long COVID Registry and UBMD's Long COVID Recovery Center, on social media! Follow us to stay in the loop about the latest long COVID news and for long COVID updates in Western New York.

Find us on:

If you had COVID-19 and would like to participate, enter the registry and begin filling out the questionnaire.

If you have already participated, feel free to share with others who may be interested.

Contact us: (716) 382 - 1808 / ubcov@buffalo.edu