Video: COVID & Our Approach to Chronic Illness

Long Haul COVID: What It Is & How We Help

Hello, Dr. David Minkoff here. I want to talk to you today about Long Haul Covid, and how we can help you overcome this. Long Haul Covid, or Long Covid, happens when people continue to experience symptoms well after they’ve recovered from the initial COVID-19 infection. These lingering symptoms can include fatigue, shortness of breath, brain fog, muscle pain, headaches, anxiety, even depression. Sometimes the symptoms can change, or come and go over time.

Vaccine-Related Injuries We See

We also have individuals coming to the clinic that are experiencing adverse reactions or injuries after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine with more severe reactions such as heart inflammation (myocarditis), blood clotting issues, or nerve-related conditions like Guillain-Barré syndrome. For those who experience vaccine-related injuries, it can be a complex and very challenging situation.

Who Is at Risk for Long Haul COVID?

What’s been very interesting is we’ve known for a long time that patients who have trouble with their metabolism, they’re overweight, their glucose is out of bad control, they don’t exercise, they have a sedentary lifestyle, they have foods that they’re eating that aren’t appropriate for them. They’re really foods that are chemicalized, not natural, not organic. These people tend to not take supplements, they tend to have high stress lives, they don’t get enough sleep. And these are all risk factors that come along. We find also the people that are on a lot of medications, whether it’s for their heart disease, or their cholesterol, or their high blood pressure, they’re also at much higher risk.

And what this comes down to is everyone has sort of a bandwidth of what their health is, and how much change can they take when they get hit with stressors. And so people who are very healthy—where their blood sugar is healthy, they’re well exercised, they’re well slept, they’re well supplemented—they have a better bandwidth, and so when some big infection comes through, they’re likely to survive better, and they’re less likely to get a chronic problem.

Vitamin D & Age Trends

Of all the people who died with COVID when the epidemic first came through, 84% of them had a vitamin D level that was below 30. Now in the LabCorp test, the levels of vitamin D normal are from 30 to 100. So 84% of the people who died had vitamin D levels that were below 30. They were very deficient, and vitamin D is very important in immunity. The other thing is the average age of those who died was 78. Almost no children died from COVID. Young people affected typically fit the same risk-factor category: metabolic issues, low exercise, low sleep, high stress, many medications, and low vitamin D.

What COVID Does in the Body

Inflammation & Clotting

The two primary things that happen with COVID are: (1) an inflammatory ramp-up that can affect any part of the body—especially the central nervous system and heart; and (2) a tendency toward blood-clotting activation. Initially, many people died of blood clots (thromboembolic events). Autopsy reports and embalmer observations described extensive clots.

Brain & Nerve Effects

If you inflame the brain, you can get malfunction: problems with sleep, mood (anxiety or depression), and memory. Lipid nanoparticles in vaccines can cross into tissues like the brain, potentially contributing to these symptoms. People may also experience headaches, visual disturbances, and peripheral nerve issues such as numbness, tingling, weakness, or loss of strength.

Mitochondria & Energy (ATP)

On a cellular level, the virus—and in some cases the vaccine—can affect the mitochondria, the “energy factories” of the cell that convert oxygen and food into ATP. When this process is disrupted, people develop fatigue, chronic pain, and reduced organ function. If the liver can’t generate energy properly, detoxification, bile production, and protein/clotting factor synthesis can suffer—leading to accumulation of biotoxins from daily exposures (food, air, cosmetics).

Microscopic Blood Findings

We’ve observed, under 900× magnification, unusual self-assembling structures in the blood of many post-2021 patients—features we did not see before. These nanoparticle-like structures are not present in everyone, but we reportedly find them in a large percentage of patients. When present alongside positive autonomic testing for COVID/vaccine activity and a compatible symptom picture, they can help explain persistent illness.

Latent Infections & Immune Suppression

Immune suppression from infection or vaccination may allow latent viruses to reactivate—such as varicella-zoster (shingles), herpes (oral/genital), Epstein-Barr, or cytomegalovirus. About 80% of people have evidence of prior exposure to these viruses. Under stress or reduced immunity, they can blossom and contribute to fatigue, flu-like symptoms, and musculoskeletal pain. We also often find parasitic infections and gut dysbiosis, especially if patients use acid-blocking drugs or have low magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, or amino acids.

Autonomic & Cardiac Nervous System Issues

We see nervous system changes like POTS (rapid heart rate upon standing) or arrhythmias without obvious structural heart disease. The issue may be in the cardiac neurology or the vagus nerve. One example: a very fit 35-year-old developed irregular rhythms post-vaccine; ultrasound showed a contracted, scarred stellate ganglion (a neck nerve hub) compressing nerves. A precise ultrasound-guided hydrodissection to stretch the capsule relieved symptoms.

How We Approach Diagnosis

There is no single definitive blood test for Long Haul Covid using conventional methods. We combine the patient’s history (well before infection/vaccine; unwell after), multi-system complaints, conventional screening, and a specialized energetic method called Autonomic Response Testing (ART). In our experience, ART is highly sensitive and helps identify active COVID/vaccine stressors, plus reactivated viruses, parasites, gut issues, dental problems, and nutritional deficits.

We also examine live blood microscopy for structural abnormalities and track patient-reported symptoms via a detailed 200-item symptom survey to quantify progress over time.

Treatment Principles We Use

• Reduce active viral load (homeopathics/herbals; address EBV/CMV/HHV-6 when active)
• Neutralize COVID/COVID-vaccine stressors with targeted formulas
• Address parasites & gut health (stool testing, antimicrobials, rebuild microbiome)
• Restore mitochondria (nutrients to support ATP production)
• Oxygen-based therapies (e.g., hyperbaric oxygen or ozone) to support immunity and energy
• Replete deficiencies (magnesium, potassium, zinc, selenium, amino acids, vitamins)
• Desensitize foods when necessary to expand tolerated diet

With this multi-layered approach, we often see symptom scores drop from the 170s into the 20s over several visits. Typical timelines are 3–6 months, though some complex cases take longer.

Case Example & Outcomes

One 42-year-old woman arrived with severe anxiety, depression, global pain, GI intolerance (only three foods tolerated), and memory issues starting after vaccination. She also had Lyme, mold, and two active viruses. Over ~9 months—with layered treatment and careful adjustments—her symptom score went from 174 to 27, mood normalized, pain resolved, and she expanded to 15 foods. Psychiatric medications were discontinued as the physical drivers were handled.

Hope & Next Steps

There is real hope for people with complex, multi-system presentations after COVID infection or vaccination. While every case is unique, our clinic specializes in comprehensive analysis and integrated care to help restore immune function, mitochondrial energy, and overall health. If you or a family member are struggling after seeing multiple providers without answers, we may be able to help.