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New Cone Health clinic will treat coronavirus "long haulers"

Some coronavirus patients still have health problems long after recovering. Cone Health will treat them at a new clinic.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — One door closes, another one opens.

Cone Health released the final patient at its COVID-19 hospital Wednesday as the Green Valley campus prepares to close.

It was a moment of celebration as the health system continues to see declining coronavirus case numbers but the fight is not over.

Cone Health opened a Post-COVID Care Clinic on the same day. That clinic will treat patients still having health problems after recovering from the coronavirus. They’re called COVID Long Haulers.

Dr. Olu Jegede runs the clinic.

"(Nationally) about a third of patients that have COVID, whether admitted to the hospital or not, are now being found to develop symptoms like weeks and even months after they tested positive," Dr. Jegede said.

Cone Health has treated more than 4,700 people for the virus.

He said the most common symptom is severe fatigue but more serious conditions are possible. 

Some patients experience difficulty thinking, focusing or remembering. They also see inflammation around the heart in other patients. Still, others show signs of PTSD from their illness.

Dr. Jegede said the Cone Health clinic is one of the first of its kind in our area. The clinic will be able to treat and refer patients with a range of symptoms.

He believes the clinic will be a big help for patients' recovery but acknowledges that there is a long and uncertain road ahead of them.

"We still don't know much about this virus," Dr. Jegede said, "These symptoms that are coming up right now, we don't know how long they're going to last."

The clinic is located at the LeBauer Medical Center on North Elam Avenue across from Wesley Long Hospital.

Dr. Jegede said the clinic will eventually move to a permanent location on Pomona Drive.

RELATED: Hospital staff sing Pharrell Williams’ ‘Happy’ as final patient leaves Cone Health’s COVID-19 only facility

RELATED: 'It really can change your life' | Greensboro mom still fighting coronavirus symptoms after five months

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