What Researchers Did
A physician in Georgia collected data on 63 Long COVID patients (ages 22–74) treated with HBOT at 2.4 ATA for 10 or 15 sessions and tracked their symptoms before and after treatment.
What They Found
Approximately 90% of all patients showed improvement compared to their starting condition, including improvements in cognitive function, fatigue, shortness of breath, and psychological well-being. No adverse effects were reported. Follow-up at three months showed that the benefits were maintained.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Long COVID affects an estimated 1.4 million Canadians, with fatigue, brain fog, and breathing difficulties being the most common complaints. This uncontrolled case series suggests HBOT at 2.4 ATA for 10–15 sessions may help Long COVID symptoms, though larger controlled trials are still needed to confirm this finding.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified. Long COVID is not currently an OHIP-covered indication for HBOT in Ontario.
Study Limitations
This study had no control group, meaning improvements could reflect natural Long COVID recovery over time rather than a treatment effect, and the author's affiliation with treating patients creates potential bias.