App from Saskatoon researchers helps people with Long COVID
Researchers with the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) have launched an app that aims to improve the lives and find unanswered questions of people living with Long COVID in the province.
Long COVID, or post acute sequelae of SARS CoV-2 (PASC), is a multi-organ disease that occurs after a person has recovered from COVID-19. It has a wide range of symptoms that can include fatigue, brain fog, headaches and palpitations.
“It was surprising to see all of this inflammation and organ damage outside of the lungs so I was interested in the connection between that damage and symptoms that people are experiencing,” Alyson Kelvin, an infectious disease researcher with VIDO, told CTV News.
The app “Sask Long COVID” allows people who have Long COVID to report their case and enter their symptoms so that researchers can analyze the data collected and find potential therapies and treatments.
Kelvin says Long COVID can affect people of all ages and can follow mild, moderate or serious cases of COVID-19. It’s unknown how many people in Saskatchewan have Long COVID.
According to the app’s website, one in 50 people experience PASC symptoms after 12 weeks. The condition has no cure but Kelvin says getting vaccinated decreases the risk of Long COVID.
Those who’ve had COVID-19 and have no lingering symptoms and those who’ve never had it are also able to use the app so researchers can compare all types of cases.
LIVING WITH LONG COVID
Cindy McLean, who lives in Watrous, Sask., tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2021 and three months later she knew something was wrong.
“This isn’t really going away, this is sticking around a lot longer than I think it should and I’m just not getting any better,” McLean told CTV News.
At the time, the only way McLean could get help was through networking with other people across the country who had Long COVID.
“I struggled a lot with confusion, dizziness, the brain fog for sure and concentration problems. I couldn’t read a book or watch TV for more than 10 or 15 minutes,” McLean said.
She also wasn't able to exercise or climb a flight of stairs and said it was “really scary.” McLean says one of the biggest challenges of the condition is her symptoms vary day-to-day, calling it “unpredictable and disruptive.”
“You never really know what’s coming.”
At her worst, she would set alarms to make sure she’d wake up to eat and drink, often sleeping 18 hours at a time.
McLean says the app is a “wonderful tool” that will help people track their symptoms and give them a platform to be able to recognize patterns. She’s already signed up for the app and has filled out the survey.
“I truly believe the more research and stories shared the more evidence, the better chance we have,” she said.
McLean says because Saskatchewan is rural and spread apart, the app will be a great tool for people to access no matter where they live.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

'The only choice': Defence Department going with Boeing to replace aging Aurora fleet
The federal government is buying at least 14 Boeing surveillance planes from the United States to replace the aging CP-140 Aurora fleet, cabinet ministers announced Thursday. The deal costs more than $10.3 billion in total, including US$5.9 billion for the jets themselves, and the planes are expected to be delivered in 2026 and 2027.
Blasted by Bloc, Conservative MP apologizes for asking minister to speak English
Conservative MP Rachael Thomas has apologized after drawing criticism from other members of Parliament for asking Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge to answer questions in English at a committee meeting.
Jaw-dropping video shows collapse at Coquitlam, B.C., construction site
Emergency work is underway after a collapse at a Coquitlam, B.C., construction site that was caught on camera this week.
NHL veteran Perry apologizes for 'inappropriate' behaviour, says he is seeking help
Corey Perry says he has started seeking help for his struggles with alcohol following his release from the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks.
Filmmakers in Bruce Peninsula 'accidentally' discover 128-year-old shipwreck
Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick were looking for invasive mussels when they found something no one has laid eyes on for 128 years.
Israeli military confirms release of 8 more Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza Strip
Hamas freed eight Israeli hostages Thursday in exchange for Israel's release of more Palestinian prisoners under a last-minute deal to extend their ceasefire in Gaza by another day.
On 1st day, UN climate conference sets up fund for countries hit by disasters like flood and drought
Nearly all the world's nations on Thursday finalized the creation of a fund to help compensate countries struggling to cope with loss and damage caused by climate change, seen as a major first-day breakthrough at this year's UN climate conference
B.C. man tries to appeal driving ban by claiming his designated driver crashed his Mercedes, fled the scene
B.C.'s Supreme Court has upheld a 90-day driving ban for a man who refused to give a breath sample after crashing his Mercedes into a ditch – rejecting his claim that an "unnamed designated driver" was behind the wheel and fled the scene.
Suspect arrested in Morocco could be behind Ontario bomb threats, OPP says
Investigators have 'strong reason' to believe that a suspect taken into custody in Morocco could be behind numerous bomb threats across Ontario in early November, police say.