Maria tells of long-covid health battle
FORMER Rose of Tralee Maria Walsh has revealed her long coronavirus battle six months on from suffering her first symptoms.
The Fine Gael MEP, 33, who represents Midlands North West, continues to suffers headaches, crippling fatigue and exhaustion after first testing positive in
Brussels last October.
She told RTE’S Claire Byrne: “Work continues and busy life happens, I really never took note of the continued fatigue or headaches and I just assumed it was my body getting over the fact that I had coronavirus.
“In early January I was frustrated by the fact that my energy wasn’t returning and the muscle fatigue and intense headaches had still continued, brain fog also.
“Sixth months on, week by week, I’m getting stronger and coming out of it, but still feel the effects on off days.
“It’s frustrating the brain fog, there’s things where you just feel a heaviness to your thought process, coupled with muscle fatigue and headaches it’s more frustrating that it’s continued on for this long.
TUNNEL
“I think it’s really important to give space to long-covid and reassure people, because I certainly need to hear it, that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”
Ms Walsh compared her initial symptoms to a “very bad flu” with aches and pains, intense headaches, fatigue, brain fog and lethargy.
Medical experts are still researching the causes of longcovid, but it appears to impact women more than men.
Infectious disease consultant Dr Eoghan De Barra added: “Probably somewhere at least around 2% of people who’ve experienced Covid are going to end up in this post-12 weeks after having Covid, having ongoing symptoms.
“Some studies suggest maybe even 40% to 50% of people six or eight months out have some residual symptoms.”