‘I’m grieving the person I was before’
With an estimated 1.3 million people in the UK suffering from the long-term effects of Coronavirus, Closer speaks to those whose lives have drastically changed...
I FELT WEAK AND MY CHEST FELT LIKE PILES OF BRICKS WERE PILED ON TOP OF IT
Before Claire McVittie contracted Covid in September 2020, she was fit and healthy. She played netball three times a week and was training for a marathon alongside her busy job as a primary school teacher.
But sadly, 17 months on, she’s still suffering with the aftereffects, a condition which has been dubbed Long Covid.
Claire, 34, from Manchester, says, “For months after testing positive for Covid, I was exhausted. I’d sleep for up to 20 hours a day, and I couldn’t stand up because I felt so weak. I felt like there was a burning in my stomach and a fire in my lungs. I do feel a bit better now but it’s hard to believe how much it has affected my life – and still is.”
Shockingly, Claire’s story isn’t unusual. According to the Office for National Statistics, an estimated 1.3 million people in the UK were living with
Long Covid in early December – about two per cent of the population.
Long Covid is the term commonly used to describe the signs and symptoms that continue to develop after an initial infection. It’s more likely to affect women aged between 35 and 69 with underlying health conditions, but it can affect anyone regardless of age and gender. Even those who had mild symptoms can still experience long-term problems.
BRAIN FOG
The most common issues are fatigue, brain fog and breathlessness, but there have been over 200 symptoms reported.
Emma Tucker, specialist respiratory physiotherapist and post-Covid rehabilitation coordinator for Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, tells Closer, “Long Covid is complex and the symptoms are so wideranging. But what has surprised me is the number of people who were living healthy lives, with no past medical history, who have been struck down.
“We don’t yet understand why fit and active people experience it, nor why it’s most common in women. But what we do know is how to manage the symptoms. For example, we can correct breathing patterns, and we can advise on how to cope with fatigue. If you test positive for Covid, it’s important that you rest and avoid doing too much exercise, as this can be quite harmful to your recovery. However, we don’t yet know what causes Long Covid in certain people and not others.
“My advice is: don’t hesitate in speaking to your GP if you are struggling – there are now 90 dedicated Long Covid clinics available in the UK.
The government is investing large amounts of funding into research, so although we don’t have all the answers yet, we will.”
Claire recalls how she discovered she’d come down with Covid six months after the first lockdown began. At this point, vaccines weren’t available for the public. She says, “It started with a terrible headache, then I developed a temperature and nasty cough.
“Self-isolation was for 14 days then, so I used that as a timeline for when I’d expected to start to feel better. But, by day 12, I could hardly stand. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t feeling myself again.
“After three months, the cough began to ease but other symptoms started, like severe fatigue, hair loss and constant vomiting. As I’ve always been active, it was hard to get out of the mindset of what my body ‘should’ be able to do. I was grieving for the person I was before.
“Luckily my friends and family were very supportive, but I’ve always been independent, so having to ask someone to go to the shop and get me some milk was a drastic change.”
REST
Then, in December 2020, Claire joined a trial for Nuffield Health’s Covid-19 Rehabilitation Programme, which was designed to support those finding it difficult to recover from the long-term effects of Covid.
The classes were held online once a week, plus a one-to-one meeting with a specialist to discuss her progress across 12 weeks. She says, “We started with low-level exercises.
There was no pressure though and we were always told to rest if needed. I thought of
the programme as physical rehabilitation, but I didn’t realise how important the support of others going through the same thing would be. We were learning how to manage the illness together.
“On 1 February 2021, I hit the milestone of 10,000 steps in one day for the first time since becoming ill.”
Now, over a year later, Claire still isn’t fully recovered. “I suffer from extreme fatigue, headaches and dizziness, and I still can’t exercise,” she says. “Since the vaccine rollout,
I’ve had all three jabs and went back to work full-time in September 2021. It’s very demanding, but it helps me keep a positive mindset.
“My advice to others suffering from Long Covid is to be gentle with yourself. It’s not like a cold. This attacks your whole body. Give in to the rest – you need it.”