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Abstract

Objective: This article presents the results of a study on the effectiveness of electroacupuncture in treating 45 cases of long COVID depression in Eastern Canada and its impact on HAMD scores.Method: 45 patients (mean age 31.56, range 20-50 years, 53% female, 47% male) with depression after a COVID-19 infection were treated with electroacupuncture using the scalp acupoints DU20 (Baihui), DU24 (Shenting), and EX-HN1 (Sishencong), and the abdominal acupoints ST25 (Tianshu), SP15 (Daheng), and GB26 (Daimai). The duration of each session was 30 minutes. The treatment was administered three times a week for four consecutive weeks. The HAMD Scale was used to assess depression before and after electroacupuncture treatment.Results: After a 12-treatment course for each of the 45 patients, the overall efficacy rate was obtained by reviewing the HAMD scores before and after treatment. The average pre-treatment scores (22.51±9.99) dropped after 4 weeks of treatment scores (12.06±6.74). There was a statistically significant difference compared to the pre-treatment scores (P<0.05). Nineteen patients were clinically cured, 15 were markedly cured, and 11 were ineffective. The overall effectiveness was 75.56%. Conclusion:Electroacupuncture has been found to not only treats long COVID depression, but also improves symptoms such as fatigue, sleep quality, and gastrointestinal disorders. It has been shown to be effective in reducing HAMD scores and helping patients recover from depression; restore their mental health; and return to work, school, and social life.