'I'm still here, I'm alive and breathing': The experience of Black Americans with long COVID.
Rachel S Bergmans, Keiyana Chambers-Peeple, Christine Yu and 8 others
PMID 37140186WHAT IT FOUND
Black adults with long COVID described fatigue, breathlessness, smell loss and memory problems that changed daily roles.
They managed with pacing, diet, supplements, prayer and family support, but cost, housing, work and racism limited care.
Key findings
01Participants most often reported anosmia, fatigue, memory or concentration problems, and shortness of breath, and said symptoms affected normal day-to-day roles and physical functioning.
02Nearly all participants used self-directed approaches to cope with symptoms, including pacing and making accommodations for reduced physical functioning.
03Participants said housing, work, money, race and family skepticism affected their ability to manage symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Convenience sampling and only 15 interviews mean the findings cannot be generalized to all Black adults with long COVID. Most participants were women, and the study did not separate experiences by gender. Most participants lived in Michigan, so geographic differences were not examined. Participants needed internet access and Zoom, which may have left out people with lower income or less digital access. The study did not use member checking or community partner debriefing.
Declared interests
Drs. Daniel J. Clauw and Rachel S. Bergmans report consulting fees from Tonix Pharmaceuticals Inc. Dr. David A. Williams chairs the PASC PIPP subcommittee and the Interventions work group for RECOVER. The supplied text does not state a funding source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the themes as evidence that pacing, diet, supplements, prayer or social support improve long COVID. The study reports what patients experienced and did, not outcomes from a tested intervention.