Starting an “Energy System First Aid” Approach for
Long COVID (Recorded Webinar)
Presented by Todd E. Davenport
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Nonfinancial: Todd E. Davenport is a scientific advisor to the Workwell Foundation and education cochair of Long Covid Physio.
We are experiencing the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) as a series of successive waves. The first wave is the acute illness associated with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Subsequent waves will involve people with persistent signs and symptoms, as well as delayed recoveries. These latent waves may be our generation’s polio moment, and they require us to further develop our knowledge and skills to assist these newly disabled people.
Long COVID is the patient-initiated and -preferred term for the prolonged signs, symptoms, and disability after suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Consistent with known fatigue syndromes of commonly postviral etiologies, one important characteristic of long COVID is postexertional symptom exacerbation (PESE). In turn, PESE is associated with a whole host of neuroimmune and metabolic changes that may underlie the observed signs, symptoms, and disability of long COVID.
This webinar will describe the identification of long COVID and clues about its physiology from existing literature describing PESE. It will then introduce the concept of energy system first aid to describe how activity pacing strategies may be designed and implemented to reduce loading on dysfunctional energy systems. Specific ideas will be provided about how to inform pacing strategies with vital sign data from wearable devices.
Meet your instructor
Todd E. Davenport
Todd serves as professor and vice-chair of the Department of Physical Therapy in the School of Health Sciences at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, where he teaches in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program. Todd is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s DPT and Orthopedic Physical…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. What Is Long COVID, and Why Does It Matter?
This chapter will discuss the prevalence and characteristics of prolonged symptoms after acute COVID-19 illness. It will describe the specific characteristics of long COVID and the relevance of the name. The chapter will include an evidence-based assessment for postexertional symptom exacerbation (PESE), which is one of the hallmark features of long COVID.
2. Physiology of Postexertional Symptom Exacerbation (PESE)
This chapter will describe physiological responses involving the metabolic, cardiovascular, and pulmonary systems in people living with PESE. The content will be organized to develop a rationale for activity pacing that is based on the energy system first aid concept.
3. The Energy System First Aid Concept
This chapter will develop the rationale for applying principles of first aid to stabilize dysfunctional energy systems in long COVID. The model will serve as the foundation for activity pacing and other adjunctive interventions that may be used to improve the predictability and stability of daily energy levels and other symptoms of PESE.
4. Using Data From Wearables to Design an Activity Pacing Program
This chapter will describe the relevant features of wearable sensors and apps that can be used to design activity pacing programs for people with long COVID. The chapter will emphasize the development of pacing programs based on heart rate biofeedback. Specific strategies will be discussed to integrate data from wearable sensors into activities of daily living.