Long COVID, Immune Response, and Why COVID-19 Vaccination Still Matters: Noah Greenspan, DPT

Uncertainty shaped much of the public response when the COVID-19 pandemic first began. Little was known about how the virus affected the body in the long term, said Noah Greenspan, DPT, founder and owner of Pulmonary Wellness PT!, in an interview with The American Journal of Managed Care^®.

“It was a shock,” Greenspan said. Not only for the public, but also for the human immune system. The sudden emergence of a novel coronavirus created both biological and psychological stress, which in some cases may have influenced how patients experienced symptoms during and after infection.

“Sometimes what happens is when people don’t know what’s going on, they overreact, and that can happen with the nervous system as well,” Greenspan explained. This reaction, he noted, may play a role in the persistence of symptoms for some individuals recovering from COVID-19.

The uncertainty also extended to clinicians and health care providers, many of whom initially lacked clear guidance on how to treat the virus and its long-term effects. Early in the pandemic, providers often relied on existing treatment frameworks even though COVID-19 presented unique challenges.

“We had almost nothing to offer people,” Greenspan said. “We were going with textbook treatments or classic treatments or standard treatments that didn’t apply because we weren’t dealing with a standard medical condition in this case.”

Because COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus, researchers, scientists, and physicians continue to study how the virus affects patients over time. Many individuals who recover from the initial infection experience lingering symptoms—commonly referred to as long COVID—which can include fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive difficulties.

As knowledge about the virus has evolved, Greenspan emphasizes the importance of vaccination as a tool for reducing both infection risk and the severity of long COVID. The COVID-19 vaccine introduces the immune system to the virus in a controlled way, helping the body build protection before encountering the virus itself.

“In general, the benefits outweigh the risks in my opinion,” Greenspan said.

Reference

1. McCrear S. How long COVID is defined, diagnosed, and managed in 2026. AJMC^®. February 26, 2026. Accessed March 17, 2026. https://www.ajmc.com/view/faq-how-long-covid-is-defined-diagnosed-and-managed-in-2026