Health Resort Treatment Mitigates Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Long COVID Patients: A Retrospective Study.

Background/objectives: Among the neuropsychiatric symptoms of long COVID, the following may be listed: sleep disturbances, headaches, anxiety, depression, dizziness, numbness, memory loss, and concentration difficulties. Various therapies have been implemented to mitigate these symptoms; however, health resort treatments that utilize a wide range of modalities stimulating multidirectional biological reactions may also be effective. The aim of this study was to assess the severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms in long COVID patients who qualified for health resort treatment, evaluate the effectiveness of health resort treatment in this group of patients, and evaluate the effect of balneological factors in the treatment course.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of the medical records of 120 people with long COVID (69 women and 51 men) aged 42-79 who underwent health resort treatment in 2021 was performed. People were eligible for treatment at a lowland health resort based on a valid referral from a doctor. The treatment included balneological therapies, physical medicine modalities, exercise programs, health education, and psychological support. Patients assessed the severity of persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms on a 0-10 point scale before and after treatment.

Results: After the treatment, the greatest improvement was noted in sleep disorders (2.47 ± 2.23 points vs. 0.86 ± 1.25 points, < 0.00001) and dizziness (1.39 ± 1.94 points vs. 0.34 ± 0.76 points, < 0.00001). The lowest improvement was observed in memory disorders (2.68 ± 2.5 points vs. 1 ± 1.4 points, < 0.00001).

Conclusions: Patients with long COVID who qualified for health resort treatment reported mild neuropsychiatric symptoms. Health resort treatment mitigates neuropsychiatric symptoms, as it is a complex approach. Treatment that includes balneological factors improves symptoms to a greater extent. This method of treatment should be integrated into the standard treatment for long COVID.