Start here. You shouldn't have to do this alone.
Reflecting on what's happened since 2020, and what we can build together.
Dear readers,
This week I have a birthday. I’m not typically one for fanfare, but I wanted to mark this day, this year, with you. If you’re new, welcome. If you’ve have been here a while, I hope you enjoy this brief reminder of what Long Covid, MD is about—and my personal health journey since 2020, when my entire life changed.
Connecting with you means the world to me and I’m glad you’re here. We need each other now more than ever, and we deserve celebration, even if it’s confined to small moments.
My wish
I recently ended a Zoom call with one of you and sighed as I closed my laptop. You had shared yet another story of medicine letting you down—and ways you were already trying to work around it. I wish you didn’t have to work so hard just to receive care.
When I developed long COVID in 2021, I had an obvious advantage: I’m a physician who specializes in critical illness. I know how to make high-stakes medical decisions, even in harrowing circumstances, and I used that advantage to recover my health.
But you shouldn’t have to be a doctor to get better. That’s why I started Long Covid, MD: I wanted to share my insights into medicine and healthcare, and also help you make difficult decisions during a scary time.
Here’s what happened to me.
When I fell ill—by which I mean: when I collapsed outside my hospital after pushing through symptoms for nearly a year—I was disappointed that I couldn’t find answers easily. I learned that post-infectious illness doesn’t have a clear home in medicine; there is no single speciality for it.
I had to take the driver’s seat in my care more than I would have liked, but once I began applying some of the strategies that helped me in the operating room, I began making progress. The progress built, and while I still have limitations, I’m happy to say I’ve made tremendous recovery. Today I live an active and joyful life. I want at least as much for you.
Now let’s talk about you.
Since launching Long Covid MD in 2023, I’ve witnessed the way you are meeting this moment: with drive, intelligence, and commitment. You’ve organized your medical records and taught yourself to read science articles. It’s taking everything you’ve got to hold it together, prepare for your appointments, and ask the right questions. You’re trying to be a good patient.
I wish you didn’t have to. I wish you could relax, follow a few simple instructions from your doctor, maybe take a pill or two, and put this all behind you.
Unfortunately it’s much harder than that. The truth is we’re a long way from a definitive cure, and many of us don’t have the medical team we really need. It’s not surprising that we rely on social media advice when our doctors won’t take the next step, or don’t know how. It’s a messy process, and it takes a toll on our mental well-being, our careers, and our personal relationships.
We can do this together
I hope Long Covid, MD can make your experience a little less messy. I share science here—both the facts and the unknowns. When I explain how treatments work, I include both FDA indications and off-label use, because that’s how many are being prescribed. And because we can’t do this alone, I introduce you to scientists, fellow patients, and caregivers who have insight into what you’re going through. They offer guidance and sometimes a peek into the future.
I also share ways to navigate the mental labor of long COVID: preparing for doctor visits, sifting through research, finding specialists, and making difficult medical decisions.
Subscribe. We’re a cool group of people—even if none of us want to be here.
Even though millions are suffering, post-infectious disease is still considered a little corner of medicine. There’s a lot of hope on the horizon for broad treatment, but at present we’re a scrappy community. Your support helps improve the visibility of long COVID, and it can certainly help you. You’ll receive regular primers on established and experimental treatments, research updates, an insider’s look into healthcare.
I share as much as I can publicly. An upgraded subscription ensures access to all of my resources.
Here’s some of what I’ve covered so far. Read at your own pace, and subscribe when you’re ready.
I would love to hear from you. What happened to you, and what brought you here? What have you learned that you can share?
Dr Zeest Khan
I think you do a great job ,,I've been battling this now for over five years. My days now are all about careful micro pacing and not over doing . I have a long way to go but can manage it so much better. Keep up your good work
My daughter, fortunately, has not had as much of a hard time as most. She had doctors intrigued by the symptoms and the impact they had on her that started digging into the whys of her collection of symptoms. She was believed and supported by doctors and all the supporting personnel. Several of the doctors along the way believed in the possibility that her issues were COVID related and they did not dismiss them.