A new clinic has opened at Hertfordshire Sports Village at the University of Hertfordshire to help those suffering with the long-term effects of COVID-19.
The long COVID rehabilitation clinic, which opened on Monday, April 12, will provide one-to-one support, both in person and virtually, with clients offered fitness and nutritional advice to help with their recovery from the virus.
A specially-trained clinic team will assess the client's health and fitness at an initial appointment to understand how fit they were before they had COVID-19, and what their fitness and health goals are.
Goals can range from being able to walk short distances, to being able to participate in strenuous exercise activities again.
Stephen Leslie, fitness manager at Hertfordshire Sports Village, said: "Although the number of COVID-19 cases has decreased over the past few months, 'long COVID' is still affecting thousands in Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.
"For some people, long COVID can make it difficult to walk short distances and do other forms of light exercise - activities they could do before they became ill.
"Not only does this affect a person's health and fitness, it can also have a big impact on their mental health and wellbeing. And it's clear that there's still an urgent need for more support for people with long COVID.
"We hope the launch of this clinic will help many recover from the long-term effects of this disease and return to their normal way of life."
Most people with coronavirus recover after a few days or weeks, but according to the Office for National Statistics one in five people who have tested positive for COVID-19 will continue to experience symptoms after five weeks.
The symptoms of long COVID vary from person to person and can last for five months or more. These include shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain or tightness, problems with memory or concentration and difficulty sleeping.
The clinic will be available to both members and non-members of the sports village.
Clients will be able to book an appointment by calling 01707 284466 or emailing gymhcs@herts.ac.uk
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