New Long Covid and ME apps aim to share information, build community

Two new applications designed for people with Long Covid and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) offer opportunities to share information about the diseases and build community, outside of the larger social media platforms that some people find overwhelming and unhelpful.

Both platforms, Turnto Long Covid and NURA Community, were designed with input from people with Long Covid. Turnto Long Covid is a new, custom-made application that follows the company’s similar app for people with cerebral palsy, while NURA Community customizes an existing platform with a Long Covid and ME-specific space.

Turnto aims to bring together information from different sources and close gaps, said Ally Niemiec, who lives with Long Covid and serves as the community lead for the company’s Long Covid app. Though many scientists are working on Long Covid research and people with the disease are testing different options to manage their symptoms, there are “all these gaps” between research, patient experiences, and the guidance people receive in doctors’ offices, she said. The Turnto app disseminates information from these different sources in a format designed to be accessible to people with Long Covid.

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