Long COVID doesn’t look the same for everyone, but the pattern is familiar: lingering fatigue, brain fog, disrupted sleep, and a body that just doesn’t feel like it’s running at full capacity, sometimes months after the initial infection has cleared.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been studied as a potential support for these symptoms, and the results so far are a genuinely useful case study in why protocol matters as much as the therapy itself.
At Core iV Therapy®, we want clients weighing HBOT for post-COVID symptoms to see the full picture — including the parts that don’t fit a simple headline.
Two Trials, Two Different Outcomes
One randomized, sham-controlled trial involving 40 HBOT sessions reported improvements in cognition, energy, sleep, psychiatric symptoms and pain interference in patients with post-COVID symptoms. That’s a meaningful result across a broad set of the symptoms people with Long COVID actually deal with day to day.
But a separate randomized trial — the HOT-LoCO trial — used only 10 HBOT sessions and did not find a significant advantage over sham treatment for its primary outcomes.
Same general therapy. Very different results. Why?
The Likely Answer: Dose and Protocol
The trial that reported benefit used four times as many sessions as the one that didn’t. That gap raises a real possibility: protocol and cumulative exposure matter — a theme that shows up throughout hyperbaric research, not just in the Long COVID studies.
We want to be careful here: this isn’t proof that more sessions always means better results, and more research is genuinely needed before HBOT can be considered an established treatment for Long COVID. But it does suggest that a single-digit round of sessions may simply be an insufficient test of what hyperbaric oxygen can do for post-viral symptoms.
Why Our Protocol Emphasizes Consistency
Our mild hyperbaric chamber operates at approximately 1.3 ATA, chosen specifically because it’s comfortable enough to return to repeatedly — which matters if the research is right that cumulative exposure is where the benefit lives. Sessions include supplemental oxygen delivery by mask when appropriate, so you’re not just sitting under pressure but actually breathing a higher oxygen concentration while you’re there.
What This Looks Like at Core iV
For clients exploring HBOT to support post-COVID symptoms, we generally emphasize:
- Meaningful session duration, typically around 60 minutes at therapeutic pressure
- Supplemental oxygen delivery by mask
- A repeated, individualized protocol rather than a handful of sessions
- Honest expectations, grounded in the fact that research results have varied by dose
To see the full range of ways we support recovery from cold, flu and COVID-related symptoms, visit our Cold, Flu & COVID Support page.
Talk to Us About Your Recovery Goals
If lingering post-COVID symptoms are affecting your energy, focus or sleep, schedule a consultation with Core iV Therapy®. We’ll talk through your symptoms, your history and whether a hyperbaric protocol makes sense for you.
Core IV Therapy® is located at 108 Elden Street, Suite 15A, Herndon, VA 20170. Call 866-426-7348 or book online.
Quick Answers
Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy help with Long COVID symptoms?
Results have varied by protocol. A trial using 40 HBOT sessions reported improvements in cognition, energy, sleep and other symptoms, while the HOT-LoCO trial using only 10 sessions found no significant advantage over sham treatment.
Why did two Long COVID HBOT trials get different results?
The trial that reported benefit used four times as many sessions as the one that didn’t, suggesting protocol and cumulative exposure may matter, though more research is needed to confirm this.
Is hyperbaric oxygen an established treatment for Long COVID?
No. More research is needed before HBOT can be considered an established treatment for Long COVID. Current evidence is promising but mixed.
What pressure does Core iV Therapy use for post-COVID symptom support?
Our mild hyperbaric chamber operates at approximately 1.3 ATA with supplemental oxygen delivery by mask, built around a repeatable, individualized protocol.
References
Zilberman-Itskovich et al. 2022 – Post-COVID Condition
Randomized, sham-controlled trial evaluating cognition, energy, sleep and other outcomes after HBOT.
HOT-LoCO Trial – 2025
Randomized placebo-controlled trial finding no significant advantage of 10 HBOT sessions over sham for its primary Long COVID outcomes.