Long Covid sufferer shares struggles with walking her dog
Long COVID describes the effects of COVID-19 that can continue for months beyond the initial infection. NICE (national institute of clinical excellence) classifies eight weeks of continuous illness as the benchmark for this health complication.
Helen Lunt Davies is one of millions who is now suffering from long COVID; having contracted the virus in March, she still feels the effects today.
Before her infection, Helen walked her dog for five miles even day, but now, all she can manage is five minutes.
“It’s the heart and the lungs. If I do something like that I would be back in bed solid for a week,” she told Sky News.
“Even brushing my teeth, stirring a pan, cooking, my heart rate can go up to 120.”
Breathlessness is just one of the many symptoms Helen’s experienced after contracting coronavirus way back in March
She had a fever for seven weeks straight and has now developed cognitive problems which means she’s unable to work or drive, and there’s still no end in sight.
The Office for National Statistics reported one in five people who test positive for COVID-19 will experience symptoms for four weeks or longer.
The same research also noted that one in 10 people will experience symptoms for a period of 12 weeks or longer.
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What are the symptoms of long COVID?
For some people, said the BHF, they undergo a cycle of feeling better and then getting worse again during the period of long COVID.
Long-term effects of the virus aren’t confined to those who needed hospital treatment at the beginning of the illness.
Long COVID can even affect those who may have passed off COVID-19 as a mild infection from the start.
Lasting symptoms of COVID-19 can include:
- Fatigue
- Breathlessness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Palpitations
- Chest pains
- Joint or muscle pain
- Not being able to think straight or focus (‘brain fog’)
For those who were hospitalised, especially due to respiratory failure, there can be permanent damage and scarring to the lungs.
Catching coronavirus can also increase the risk of blood clots, which can lead to deep vein thrombosis, heart attacks and strokes.
The dire disease may also cause heart inflammation and heart rhythm disturbances, such as atrial fibrillation.
At present, there is no way to predict how long someone will suffer from long COVID.
Those with lasting effects are not considered contagious, as the symptoms are caused by the body’s response to the virus.
“We set up the clinic in Newcastle to support patients, but it has also been invaluable in helping us understand what long COVID is.”
How do I access a long COVID centre?
Patients can be referred to a long COVID centre by their GP or another healthcare professional.
At present, the BHF warned that no similar services have yet been announced in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
For those wanting a bit of support for their long-term symptoms, the BHF have shared tips to help manage long COVID.
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