New App Helps Long Covid Patients Manage Fatigue with Real-Time Data
Chicago-based company Pathize Health has recently launched an innovative app designed to assist patients grappling with the lingering effects of long Covid. By leveraging real-time data collected through connectivity with the Apple Watch, the app aims to provide valuable insights into crucial areas such as energy management, activity logging, and medication adherence.
Long Covid, a condition characterized by persistent symptoms that endure long after the initial infection of Covid-19 has subsided, leaves many patients feeling anxious and isolated. Similar to other post-viral infection syndromes like chronic fatigue syndrome or ME, physicians still have limited understanding of long Covid. However, the emergence of this new app offers hope to patients in their battle against fatigue.
The lack of knowledge among medical professionals is unsurprising given that the virus itself only gained attention a few years ago. Unfortunately, long Covid has also been mired in politics, further complicating matters. In the UK, it was revealed during the recent Covid-19 Inquiry that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson referred to long Covid as b******* and equated it to Gulf War Syndrome. However, long Covid is now widely recognized by the medical community and has its own International Classification of Disease code.
A 2020 study by Harvard economist David Cutler estimated that 12-17% of Covid patients suffer from long Covid, which could result in a staggering $1 trillion in lost wages in the US labor market over five years. Clearly, the need for effective management strategies is urgent.
Pathize Health, created by founders Alex Bahram and Mason Secky-Koebel, aims to address this pressing issue. Bahram, who has personal experience with chronic fatigue due to a condition called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, understands the challenges faced by long Covid patients firsthand. After years of trial and error, he successfully improved his condition and now wants to expedite the process for others.
The Pathize app, currently available on iOS in conjunction with the Apple Watch, primarily tracks heart rate throughout the day. This metric serves as a useful indicator for predicting energy crashes. Unlike fitness trackers, Pathize adjusts the anaerobic baseline specifically for individuals with chronic fatigue conditions. Users can visualize how much time they spend above that baseline and identify activities that trigger energy spikes or crashes.
Aside from aiding in pacing and self-management, Pathize also offers the valuable benefit of sharing data-driven insights with healthcare professionals. This gives doctors an unprecedented understanding of how energy-limiting conditions affect their patients’ daily lives.
Dr. Rasika Karnik, Medical Director of the University of Chicago’s Post-COVID Recovery Clinic, emphasizes the importance of tracking symptoms and establishing patterns to effectively manage long Covid. She believes having this information readily available during healthcare appointments can lead to more productive visits.
Pathize’s future plans include developing a predictive feature that enables patients to anticipate energy crashes in advance. This would allow users to identify optimal periods for pushing beyond their anaerobic baseline while minimizing the risk of a crash. There may also be opportunities to integrate app data into electronic medical records.
While the landscape of long Covid remains somewhat murky, Pathize’s app aims to bring clarity and support to individuals navigating through the challenges of this condition. With its focus on data-driven insights and personalized care, Pathize offers a new playbook for patients and clinicians alike, empowering them to manage long Covid more effectively.
