Episode 30: Dr Michael Gonevski - Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Dr. Michael Gonevski works out of the Midlands Diving Chamber at the Hospital of St Cross in Rugby. It is one of a handful of facilities around the world that is using Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) to combat the effects of Long Covid. Hyperbaric chambers are most commonly associated with treating divers with decompression sickness but they are also used for other conditions, predominantly to assist damaged tissues in their healing process.

Gonevski and his team conducted one of the few studies looking at the efficacy of this therapy on Long Covid patients. HBOT delivers oxygen in extreme conditions of hypoxemia. It provides anti-inflammatory effects to counter the increased immune response common in Long Covid. The study was with a total of 10 patients and they received 10 sessions of HBOT to 2.4 atmospheres over 12 days. Each treatment session lasted 105 minutes, consisting of three 30-minute exposures to 100% oxygen, interspersed with 5-minute air breaks. Gonevski has seen more than 100 patients since conducting the study and says that almost every one has improvements. He recommends 10-15 sessions of the treatment which costs £200gbp per session.