Long COVID - my experience

In February 2020, I got Covid. 9 months later, I have recovered.

There are two reasons that I am writing this article: (1) Everyone should know about Long COVID, because it’s quite likely to affect your workplace. About 5 % of COVID patients have symptoms >8 weeks, and some significantly longer[1]; and (2) What helped me most when I got Long COVID was reading about others with similar experiences, so here goes...

My Story – the beginning

On Sunday 9th February 2020, I had what I thought was food poisoning. On Tuesday 11th I developed a strange pain in my chest and called the health centre. I met a doctor who told me that I probably had a virus. Neither of us even considered it could be COVID.

Apart from some stomach issues and some mild chest pain I felt fine, and I flew to the UK on Saturday as planned over half-term to visit my sister. Looking back, a crazy thing to do, but we did not have any of the symptoms, and we decided it was ok to go. Over that week both of my children developed fevers, and my partner got cold symptoms.

On returning from the UK, I was a bit up and down, sniffly, headachy... a cold. Next week I felt better, then worse. On Friday I lost my sense of smell. On Sunday I woke on in the night with a severe coughing attack. My sister in the UK started having breathing problems. We thought that maybe I could have COVID – probably picked it up in UK, and we quarantined the family for 2 weeks. My kids were totally healthy, and got a bit crazy.

The middle

I steadily got worse, the symptoms were varied and came and went, and some days I almost felt fine. I kept telling my manager and colleagues I would be back to work soon, but then suddenly get worse again. The chest pains gradually increased, my stomach problems got worse, and other consistent symptoms were difficulty breathing, ear-ache, tinnitus, heart palpitations, sinus problems and this weird sensation as though my insides were vibrating. Other symptoms included cold sweats, swelling, loss of sensation in fingers, hair loss, headaches, nausea, aches, cold hands and feet, streaking pain down right arm, ...

After I had been quarantined for about 4 weeks, I had to see a doctor to get my sick leave renewed. At this point it hurt considerably in my chest when I did anything physical. I was very tired. An old lady with a rollator overtook me when I was walking to the doctor’s. The doctor diagnosed me with COVID, but no tests were available for mild cases like mine.

I continued getting worse rather than better. On 24th April some of my test results were a bit worrying so I was sent to the hospital. There was nothing acutely wrong with me, so I was sent home. I cried. I had been sick for two months. No one could help me.

The psychological component

It was tough. My partner had to do everything with the kids, apartment and he was still working (though mostly from home). I did my best to help out, but I was useless. Having a shower made me so exhausted that I had to lie down, and a task like emptying the dishwasher became a big achievement for the day. I had a picture of myself on the fridge from the previous summer. I couldn’t recognise the healthy person smiling at me.

Although I had been diagnosed with COVID, the doctors I met or spoke to on the phone had no idea what to do with me. Should I try to exercise? Should I rest? Should I take any medication? Would I get better? Was I contagious? None had any idea. I started to question my sanity. And so did others around me. Maybe this is what burnout felt like?

My sister (now totally recovered) reminded me that I had told her that I had started shuffling instead of walking around because footsteps on hard floor made my chest hurt too much. This is not stress, she said. You have COVID.

On May 5th (after I had been sick for 12 weeks) Dr Paul Garner published an article on BMJ about his experience which sounded like mine[2]. I cried when I read it. Thank you for your article, I will be forever grateful for you writing it.

Finding my way by myself

I decided that the doctors’ advice of ”just rest” was not helpful. I needed to track myself in some way and monitor whether I was getting better. I needed a treatment plan. I needed to get better. I bought a smart watch to monitor my heart rate and blood-oxygenation. I continued taking my temperature every day.

Because I had this weird on/off symptom when my throat closed up, and had the consistent stomach issues, I thought maybe I had developed a food allergy. In May I went on an elimination diet. I practised deep breathing and meditation. I did stretching exercises every day recommended for patients with chronic lung conditions. I went for a walk every day. Sometimes I didn’t manage more than a few hundred metres before my heart rate rocketed (>180bpm) and I felt like vomiting and had to stop, but generally I could manage my 1km route even though old ladies were still overtaking me most of the time, and sometimes I had to stop and rest.

I started to get better. On 4th May I woke up at 4am and felt like a weight had lifted from my chest. I had not realised I couldn’t breathe properly until suddenly I could again. I cried with happiness.

I wasn’t better though. On 12th May I had a job interview. At this point talking caused pain in my chest. After a 45 minute interview I could not move from a lying position or speak for the rest of the day.

But I slowly improved. I could walk more than 1km, and sometimes I reached the dizzying speed of 4km/h. I started being able to move my arms in circles (previously too painful). I started re-introducing foods I had eliminated. I had a second job interview on 26 May and did not have to lie down for the whole day after it. I could play with my kids, but only from a sitting position.

The slow road to ”normality”

I was on 100 % sick leave until 18 June -a full 3 months, although I think I contracted COVID four weeks prior to taking sick leave. I returned to work for one week, and then had a planned 8-week summer holiday.  I continued with my daily walks and exercises and in mid July started running again – first just 2km twice a week. I could play with my kids.

Over the summer, I continued to have intermittent chest pains and my sense of smell disappeared periodically. By August, I no longer had strange popping noises in my ears from whatever sinus problems I had. The tiredness was gone. I started swimming again.

I had signed a contract for a new job in June, assuming that I would continue improving over the summer (always the optimist, and anyway according to the doctors I was fit to go). I started on 19th August, and have thankfully continued to get better.

Silver linings

So yes, this was tough. Psychologically very tough. And I feel really bad about everyone I inadvertently infected back in February. I am so sorry!

With the support of my amazing family, colleagues and friends I got through this. The role of a supportive employer cannot be overstated, which is one of the reasons I write this. So thank you to my manager Lena Richardson and Trivector Traffic. And thank you to everyone who has sent kind and supportive messages my way.

I’m better and back to business. And how about it... if we can make these huge societal changes for a virus, how about making the changes we need to save humanity from the climate crisis?

[1] https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/long-covid

[2] https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2020/05/05/paul-garner-people-who-have-a-more-protracted-illness-need-help-to-understand-and-cope-with-the-constantly-shifting-bizarre-symptoms/