This Early Long COVID Clinic Was Led by PM&R and Family and Internal Medicine

The long COVID clinic at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle was established in the early days of recognition that post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 was a real phenomenon affecting large numbers of people and was not going to fade away.

The long COVID clinic initiative was driven by the UW department of rehabilitation medicine and began with foundational clinicians in rehabilitation, family, and internal medicine, according to Christopher McMullen, MD, CAQSM, assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine and sports and spine medicine at UW and a physiatrist in practice at a UW multispecialty outpatient clinic.

McMullen, along with his primary care colleague Nina Maisterra, MD, discuss the role of physical medicine and rehabilitation in care for long COVID patients and the very large role for primary care.