The Doctor Will See You Now | Q&A with Dr Danilo Buonsenso & Long Covid Kids

Artwork by Rosie Pidgeon

The Doctor Will See You Now… Q&A with Dr Danilo Buonsenso

For the first time ever, youth members of Long Covid Kids had the chance to put their questions about Long Covid straight to a doctor and get honest answers about what really matters to them.

On Friday, 7th March, as part of Long Covid Awareness Month, we were really excited that Doctor Danilo agreed to do a live Zoom Q&A for the youth members of our community. Children and young people jumped at the chance, and it was so popular that we had to close registration early because it was fully subscribed.

The popularity of the session proves how important it is to young people to be heard.  They want to understand their illness and have it explained to them by a doctor who treats it seriously. Dr Danilo has an international reputation for providing quality care and has published research on Long Covid.

To begin, Dr Danilo introduced himself and welcomed all the young people (and some parents who also joined with their children). He explained that he had seen all the questions that our members had submitted in advance and would do his best to answer them.  It was clear he was impressed by what our members had asked:

“some of the questions are very technical and difficult, so I am going to manage this like a scientific meeting”

About Dr Danilo Buonsenso

Dr Danilo Buonsenso

Dr Danilo is a paediatrician working in a busy emergency department in Rome.

 He explained that he is not specifically trained in Long Covid, so he sees children with all sorts of other paediatric conditions.

He has specialised in infections and began to follow up children who have not recovered after their initial infections.

He sees around 300 children and young people with Long Covid.

Danilo recently organised an international conference in Rome which brought together specialists from all over the world. 

Watch LCK's presentation to the conference.

Q & A with Doctor Danilo Buonsenso & Long Covid Kids

We recorded the Q&A so you can watch the full event. Participants were given the option to turn their cameras off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZftSx0Die4

Q & A with Dr Danilo Buonsenso & Long Covid Kids

Topics & Questions

Many of the topics which our members asked about will be so familiar to many. Some focused on specific symptoms, and Dr Danilo carefully explained the science behind the symptoms before giving examples of how he advises his patients to manage the symptoms, or treatments he tries with them.

Why do I get tired all the time?

How do I stop Post-exertional Malaise?

Is there any way to treat leg pain and brain fog?

Why does Long Covid affect your finger and toenails?

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Other questions showed how much children and young people want to get better and how important it is for them to have hope.

Is it possible to get completely better?

Are there things a child or teen can do to give themselves the best chance of improving?

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Some young people focused on the challenges they face trying to get treatment of imporve live their lives.

How of I deal with my mental health without my doctor saying my Long Covid is a mental health problem?

One question is so familiar to us at Long Covid Kids, it is one we unfortunately hear from children and families every week.

Why do some doctors not believe us?

This is what Dr Danilo said;

this is a mystery to me as well. As a doctor, I have received gaslighting from colleagues as well from a different perspective…this is mental bias of doctors.  When they can’t find a response they expect, then it is possible for them to say a patient is hysterical or it’s in their head.  Some people are still blaming lockdowns. This is not a rational thing. Long Covid is now one of the most studied diseases ever. Show your doctor the video of this session

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Another set of questions was about young people’s concerns about getting worse.

I was 95% recovered for a year and suddenly got worse.  Why?

Why are reinfections so bad?

Is it a good idea to have vaccines if you have Long Covid?

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The final question we want to highlight was from a 10-year old in the Netherlands.  It shows the impact on young people who are sick when the world is unkind to them.

I get a lot of brain fog.  I used to be smart and now I feel dumb.

When the LCK team hears accounts like this, it is heartbreaking and drives us to continue our mission to improve the future experiences of children and young people living with Long Covid. 

If you would like to show your support for young people in this position and our mission, please join us in taking action.

Donate today, buy a Long Covid Awareness badge or pin and wear your support or engage with our initiatives and support us on social media.

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