Long Covid

Helping You Gain Your Life Back

How has Covid Affected You?

COVID-19 seems to affect different people in different ways.
It can cause symptoms that are mild at first, but can become more severe over five to seven days.

One of the most widely reported symptoms of Post Covid Condition (or long COVID) is difficulty thinking or concentrating, also known as brain fog.

This cognitive disconnect causes an array of speech communication problems. For example, patients can have trouble remembering and using intended words or completing coherent sentences.

Additionally, some patients report some vocal issue because of Covid 19 such as vocal fatigue and dry throat- possibly from prolong mask use.  More serious issues reported may be due to intubation, upper respiratory inflammation, and reflux from the medication used to treat Covid 19.

Fortunately, speech therapy has proven effective in helping long COVID patients recover their vocal, verbal and cognitive abilities.

What are the signs and symptoms of long Covid?

Voice

Post Covid patients may experience hoarse voice or other vocal cord problems.  Speech therapy can help improve vocal quality, reduce hoarseness, or rough sounding voice and reduce vocal strain.

Cognition

Brain fog can delay returning to work  and interfere with family responsibilities. We can help improve memory, attention, organization, problem solving and social interactions.

Communication

Low oxygen levels associated with COVID-19 may be linked to communication difficulties including talking, reading, writing, and recalling words.

Speech therapists utilize techniques and strategies for helping patients improve their communication skills.

Strategies that may help long COVID patients include:

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Spaced Retrieval. Patients practice recall and use of relevant information over increasingly long intervals of time.

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Life Participation Approach. Patients work with their speech therapist to design a treatment protocol with long-term life goal touchpoints that are personally relevant and meaningful.

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Melodic Intonation Therapy. Patients who have difficulty speaking can sometimes sing their speech. Studies have demonstrated that music memories and ability are governed by a dedicated brain area separate from other functions.

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Script Training. Patients work with their therapist to develop scripts for familiar and regular routines in their life, an activity which gradually improves sentence formation, rate of speech and confidence.

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Semantic Feature Analysis Treatment. This therapy typically involves auditory and visual cueing, helping patients improve their ability to recall and use naming abilities.

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Word Retrieval Cueing Strategies Patients with brain fog often have difficulty recalling the correct word they want to say. Association and sound cues are incorporated in the treatment to help patients overcome this deficit.

How Can Great Speech Help?

Overcoming such cognitive challenges are commonly treated in speech therapy. A long COVID patient who struggles with brain fog, communication or voice issues should see a doctor. For a formal diagnosis and ask for a virtual speech therapy referral to get help in the comfort and privacy of their home. Are you ready to begin online speech therapy? Click here to get started today!