Case Study: long covid recovery and Therapeutic Interventions

Peter, Biowell Health Co-Founder and former professional rugby player for Wasps Rugby Club, picked up numerous severe injuries over a 12-year career – including two knee and two shoulder reconstructions, each needing roughly 9–12 months of rehabilitation. Despite all that, he stayed extremely fit after retiring, and he underestimated how hard Long Covid could hit someone in his condition.

Initial illness and symptoms

In October 2020, before vaccines were available, Peter developed severe symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Given his fitness, he assumed that if he caught it, it would be little more than a cold or mild flu.

Instead, he ran a fever above 39°C for ten days, with intense headaches and irregular heart palpitations that led to medical care at Arrowe Park Hospital on The Wirral. His condition got worse: chronic fatigue, dizziness and brain fog set in, and he lost three stone of muscle in three weeks, leaving him with profound muscle weakness and sore joints. Although his COVID-19 test came back negative, senior consultants diagnosed him on the basis of his symptoms.

Diagnostic challenges and early interventions

In rugby, a serious injury had a clear path: an operation, then intensive physiotherapy and rehab to get back on the pitch. Cause and solution were obvious.

With Covid, there was no such path, and Peter found that incredibly hard to deal with, physically and mentally. Routine NHS blood tests came back normal, offering no explanation for his symptoms, which deepened his sense of isolation. He tried vitamins, reflexology, acupuncture, faith healing and antihistamines, without success.

Finding the therapies

Peter turned to his rugby medical network. At first, friends joked that it was "just a cold" and he should get on with it – but over time they saw how life-changing the effects were, and it came as a shock. This was not normal for someone so fit and healthy.

On the recommendation of former teammate and World Cup winner Simon Shaw MBE – who was exploring it for concussion through his charity, Love of The Game – Peter looked into Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), which involves breathing 100% oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure.

The NHS limited access to HBOT chambers to people who had experienced a diving accident, carbon monoxide poisoning or severe burns, so he found a private soft-shell 1.3-bar chamber in Liverpool. After five sessions he felt a cloud had lifted and had more energy. But it was short-lived: thinking he was back to normal, he did a slow 5k on the bike and crashed physically again. One step forward, three steps back.

Alongside HBOT, Peter used Cryotherapy, familiar from his rugby career, which gave short-term relief from inflammation and muscle and joint soreness. He was also introduced to Red Light Therapy, which eased his symptoms too. Both helped, but the chronic fatigue and brain fog remained – and because he still didn't know the root cause, nothing was joined up.

The moment of clarity

The turning point came when a functional medicine practitioner suggested a far more comprehensive set of blood tests than he'd had before. The results were a eureka moment: they showed significant mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are the structures inside our cells that produce energy – suddenly, everything made sense.

With a cause identified, the recommendation was to layer HBOT, red light and cryotherapy together. Peter felt relief almost straight away, and he backed it up with a healthy diet, a good vitamin regime, occasional IV drips and a carefully measured return to exercise. The key was not to do too much – but he could feel he was on the way back.

Each therapy played a different role. Cryotherapy, red light, HBOT and IV therapy are each thought to support mitochondrial health in different ways – from helping the body clear and renew mitochondria, to supporting cellular repair and replenishing key nutrients. Used together, they made a substantial difference to Peter's recovery. Motivated by that experience, he and James Stanley co-founded Biowell Health to make these therapies accessible to more people.

From one recovery to a programme

Peter's story is a big part of why Biowell is organised the way it is today: start with the goal, find the cause where possible, then build a stack of therapies around it – rather than trying things one at a time with no clear plan.

That thinking now sits behind the Long Covid Programme, a structured, cellular-level protocol for the fatigue, breathlessness and fog that can linger long after the infection has cleared. It's paced to what your body can currently manage – the lesson Peter learned the hard way on that 5k ride.

The stack: Compression, Hyperbaric Oxygen, Cryotherapy, Red Light Therapy (mitochondrial up-shift setting) and PEMF Sessions: a minimum of 20 sessions as the baseline protocol Price: £6,080 (save £1,520 vs. booking separately)

Long Covid+

Adds a 3-pack of NAD+ infusions to support mitochondrial recovery – £7,028 Built-in clinical review: part way through, we look at what has changed and agree whether to continue, adjust the stack, or stop.

Every programme starts with a consultation, where we go through your history and confirm the combination is right for you before you commit. Biowell's therapies are designed to sit alongside, not replace, care from your GP or specialist.

Conclusion

Peter is now fully recovered, but his experience shows how complex Long Covid and chronic fatigue can be. It also shows what's possible when therapies are combined with purpose – whether your goal is recovery, performance, healthy ageing or simply feeling like yourself again.

Biowell will continue to seek further research and partner with medical practices and universities on clinical trials, to validate these approaches and help integrate them into mainstream medical practice.

Find your fit

If fatigue, brain fog or low energy is your starting point, these Programmes and Signature Stacks may also be relevant.

Programmes

Outcome-led combinations of therapies, with a review point built in.

Long Covid Programme – from £6,080 Medical. A cellular-level protocol for post-Covid fatigue, breathlessness and fog, with a minimum of 20 sessions.

Cellular Health Programme – from £3,510 Longevity. Compression, IHHT, cryotherapy, red light and PEMF, for energy at the cellular baseline.

Focus & Cognitive Function Programme – from £1,032.75 Longevity. Oxygen- and altitude-led support for brain health and clarity.

Energiser Programme – from £1,606.50 Lifestyle. Compression, hyperbaric oxygen, cryotherapy and red light to rebuild energy from the inside out.

Sleep Programme – from £816 Lifestyle. Hyperbaric oxygen, PEMF and red light over four weeks to restore circadian rhythm.

See all Programmes →

Signature Stacks

Several therapies, one visit.

Introductory Stack – £189 Compression, cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen and red light – a first visit to see how you respond to each.

Energiser Stack – £283.50 Compression, cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen and red light in a single visit for lasting energy.

Cellular Wellbeing Stack – £477 IHHT, red light and an NAD+ infusion in a single cellular-focused visit.

See all Signature Stacks →

Wondering how this applies to you?

Every stack and programme starts with a consultation. We'll tell you what's likely to help – and say so when something isn't worth your money.