Long Covid sufferers are reportedly spending tens of thousands of pounds on unproven ‘blood washing’ treatments.
Private clinics in Cyprus, Germany and Switzerland are said to be offering blood filtering treatment and anti-clogging therapy in an effort to tackle the condition - which is said to impact almost two million people in the UK.
But experts have warned of the risks that come with the treatment, while there is no proof that it will help alleviate the symptoms of long Covid.
Officials at the Department of Health and Social Care have urged people to only take part in regulated clinical trials, the Mirror reports.
READ MORE: Long Covid symptoms and three changes in eyes to look out for
READ MORE: Malta to scrap Covid-19 entry rules for all travellers on July 25
An investigation, carried out by the BMJ and ITV News, gave an example of Gitte Boumeester, who spent £42,000 for the treatment at a clinic in Cyprus.
The trainee psychiatrist from the Netherlands said she heard of apheresis (blood filtering) on Facebook.
“I thought, what’s the worst thing I’ve got to lose?” she said. “Money was the only thing. I thought, OK, well, why not give it a try?”
But she has since returned home having spent nearly all her savings and with no improvement in her symptoms.
She was asked to sign a consent form at the Long Covid Centre before undergoing apheresis, which has been described by lawyers and clinicians as insufficient, reported the BMJ.
"We as a clinic do neither advertise, nor promote. We accept patients that have microcirculation issues and want to be treated with HELP apheresis… If a patient needs a prescription, it is individually assessed by our doctor or the patient is referred to other specialised doctors where needed," said Marcus Klotz, co-founder of the Long Covid Centre.
Across Europe it is normal for countries to allow doctors to offer experimental treatments if they fully explain the risks involved in a consent form.
But it has been claimed that the Long Covid Centre's consent process is unsatisfactory because it doesn't make clear that the treatment is experimental and patients sign away their rights to sue if they become injured as a result of the treatment.
“It’s unsurprising that people who were previously highly functioning, who are now debilitated, can’t work, and can’t financially support themselves, would seek treatments elsewhere. It’s a completely rational response to a situation like this,” said Shamil Haroon, clinical lecturer in primary care at the University of Birmingham and a researcher on the Therapies for Long Covid in Non-hospitalised Patients (TLC) trial. “But people could potentially go bankrupt accessing these treatments, for which there is limited to no evidence of effectiveness.”
Experimental treatment should occur only in the context of a clinical trial, added Mr Haroon.
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
