By Dr. David Pollack

For the past few years at Pollack Wellness, my team and I have been inundated with people experiencing post-COVID syndromes, also known as long COVID. For some, the symptoms are respiratory, but for most, the issues revolve around autoimmune, digestive, neurological and skin conditions. I've also seen a fair share of strange, unexplained symptoms.

As more patients with long COVID came to my clinic, we began noticing symptom themes based on when a patient’s COVID-19 infection occurred. For example, many people who got long COVID from an infection in December 2021 to January 2022 had severe digestive issues, which often developed into an autoimmune disorder. Infections from earlier in 2021 often led to heart-based symptoms and skin conditions. While this is not an all-inclusive or comprehensive list, there seems to be an association between the time of infection and the symptoms that develop.

Although I can’t help but wonder about the true origins of these conditions, my primary focus remains on helping my patients overcome this myriad of health challenges.

Fundamentally, what has occurred from COVID-19 in long COVID cases is similar to rare reactions from other viruses and infections—just on a much larger and unusual scale. Historically, we’ve seen that after certain infections, or even extremely stressful events, some people develop serious medical conditions. The key is figuring out what exactly has been injured in the body. Long COVID symptoms aren’t COVID; they’re the leftover damage and reactions that have resulted.

Once we assess what’s been damaged, we determine whether there’s evidence of an autoimmune reaction. If an immune response is involved, the symptoms often become more dramatic and complicated. Another very common issue we see is the reactivation of latent viruses in the body.

In my clinic, we’re seeing chronic persistent and novel reactivations of several infections, including Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), Human herpesvirus 6 (HHV6), Lyme disease, and others. In most cases, these viruses were already present in the body but became reactivated due to the COVID infection, often in a more severe form than the original infection.

One of the most important factors for successful treatment is helping people overcome these infections while simultaneously making progress in healing any damage or autoimmune reactions. We often combine antiviral herbal treatments with acupuncture and detoxification therapies to address these infections. It’s taking longer for people to respond to these therapies compared to pre-COVID cases. For example, before COVID, helping someone with EBV or a similar virus took, on average, four to six weeks to see significant improvement. Now, it’s taking three or more months to see those changes.

Combination approaches are making the biggest impact in helping patients regain their health. In my clinic, we combine enzyme therapy, herbal nutraceuticals, Chinese medicine therapies, bodywork, emotional release, detoxification, cold-laser therapies, and more. Persistence is key, and we have been seeing great results.

Three years ago, when we first started seeing these cases—wild skin rashes, severe digestive issues, fertility problems, and more—I wasn’t sure if patients would respond to treatment. I’m relieved to say that people have been getting better and getting back to their lives. There was a lot to figure out, but if you or someone you know is suffering from post-COVID syndromes, know that there is hope. You can get better.

Pollack Wellness is located at 66 Commack Rd., #204, in Commack, NY. For more information, call 631-861-HEAL (4325) or visit PollackWellness.com.