Why are you involved in Altea's Expert Board?
In June 2021, we started a Long COVID clinic at the hospital in Locarno. For this, we obtained information about Long COVID through a variety of sources, and came across Altea.
This is how we got in touch with Altea, and I was asked if I would take part in the Expert Board. At the start, I didn’t consider myself as an “expert” in the area, but over time I have gained a lot of first-hand experience with patients. And last but not least, I was myself affected by Long COVID, and it’s a priority of mine to help others.
What is your professional relationship to Long COVID?
As an internal medicine specialist, family doctor and sports doctor, I come across Long COVID very frequently. These three areas all play a role in treating the long-term effects of Covid. I am able to put the experience I gained at the Cantonal Sports Medicine Center EOC in Tenero to good use in treatments.
No matter if Long COVID patients were or weren’t physically active prior to getting Long COVID, movement is an important part of their therapy. It’s therefore about carefully easing them back into physical activity. This can be done in a variety of different ways, depending on the patient’s condition. It can range from going up the stairs in their own house, to going on longer walks. Even in the cases of patients who did lots of physical activity prior to getting Long COVID, they still require careful help when restarting physical activity to avoid any relapses. This includes anything from preparation such as stretching, to making guidelines for different types of activities (length, duration, intensity), through to actually doing them. It’s important that these are tailored to suit each individual, and that they aren’t overstrained.
“It’s very important that exercise therapy is tailored to each individual person.”
Portrait: Gian Antonio Romano, internal medicine specialist, family doctor and sports doctor. (Picture: private)
What is your experience with Long COVID so far?
I’ve got to know Long COVID from both perspectives: I caught COVID-19 myself in October 2020, and I then suffered from Long COVID after. My most apparent symptoms were shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. Before getting Covid, I did at least four to six hours of physical activity each week, but after, sometimes I could hardly get up the stairs.
Secondly, together with Rita Monotti, I set up the Long COVID clinic at the La Carità EOC regional hospital in Locarno. We have since treated 80 patients. I usually see patients two to three times. Our goal is to work as closely as possibly with the family doctors. This means that we suggest possible therapies to the patients and give them guidelines, so they can implement them together with their doctor. The approaches differ from person to person and range from breath therapy to acupuncture, yoga to mediation, through to smell training and exercise therapy.
Furthermore, once a month, we hold discussions with various specialists, where we talk about cases and possible treatments, and also share information from the Altea Expert Board calls.
“My own experience with having Long COVID helps me to better understand patients.”
How do you see the future with regards to Long COVID?
I’m quite skeptical about what the future has in store in terms of Long COVID. It remains to be seen what the long-term effects of Omicron are. But I have already seen a few people who are probably already suffering from some. This worries me.
Furthermore, we’re hearing more and more about discussions with health insurers about the recognition of incapacity to work, as we sometimes have to defend the patients or put them in touch with unions and specialists in this area. I hope that a suitable solution can be found for everyone in this area.
What are you enthusiastic about as a private person?
Alongside my job as a doctor, I’m also president of the Kam For Sud organization in Nepal. The organization has been running for 24 years and has already achieved a great deal. Last year, we were able to get oxygen concentrators to Nepal during a critical stage of the Covid pandemic, as there were no oxygen cylinders available. This was a great help to several regional hospitals.
Otherwise, my interests are very diverse. Sport plays a large role in my life. During the summer, I’m often out cycling, and in the winter, I go on ski tours or do some cross-country skiing. I am also interested in nature and portrait photography, and I sing in a choir.
Gian Antonio Romano is an internal medicine specialist, family doctor and sports doctor. Together with Rita Monotti, he runs the Long COVID clinic at the La Carità EOC regional hospital in Locarno.
Durbar Square: Gian Antonio Romano likes to capture his experiences: here’s the Patan Durbar Square Kathmandu, Nepal. (Image: private)
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