Fascia Focused Manual Therapy Interventions-Proposed Treatment for Post-COVID Syndrome

RCCM member John Sharkey provides a comment concerning the paper entitled Fascia Focused Manual Therapy Interventions-Proposed Treatment for Post-COVID Syndrome”.

Clinical anatomists are trained in the management of human tissues as they are involved in cadaveric tissue donation. The role of the anatomist involves screening donations for communicable or transmissible infection both bacterial and/or viral. Taking tissues from cadavers for histological investigations includes fluids, organs, tissue samples and human tissue for research and the training of students and pathology residents (tissues, organs) so all human tissue must be virus and bacteria free. As a Clinical Anatomist and manual therapist I was keenly aware of the serious nature of the so-called ‘novel virus’ identified as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus [SARS-CoV-2] and the implication of possible long-term effects, post recovery. At this time researchers are more informed regarding COVID-19 as the story concerning this virus unfolds with new facts emerging fortnightly. When I completed and published my research there were 57 million confirmed cases worldwide. Today that number exceeds 100 million people with 55.2 million people who have recovered. It is the people that have recovered that my research focused on as a significant number of those people are reporting long-term effects including, but not limited to, extreme fatigue, joint soreness, muscle stiffness and painful movement, all issues that can be effectively dealt with by a complementary medical professional with the appropriate fascia focused training. This will reduce the stress and intensity on the National Health Service generally and accident and emergency departments specifically as Long-COVID or Post-COVID-19 patients are destined to increase in number within all communities creating the real potential of overrunning the current medical healthcare system.

John Sharkey MSc

john.sharkey@ntc.ie

Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Clinical Sciences,
University of Chester/NTC,
15-16aSt Joseph’s Parade
Dorset St
DO7 FR6C
Dublin,
Ireland