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What’s It Like to Live With Long Covid?

The impact of a COVID-19 infection has been well documented – as of publication of this article, there have been more than 233 million recorded COVID-19 cases and 4 million people have died from the virus. What is less known are the longer symptoms of COVID-19 that may be experienced after recovering from the initial infection, known as Long Covid.

The reality is that we still don’t have a full grip on what Long Covid is and how it manifests in the body, but the scientific community is continuing to investigate this phenomenon. That being said, what we at OTandP do know currently is that Long Covid experiences are widespread. We are committed to learning from and sharing these experiences with the greater OTandP community to exchange information and possibly fill any knowledge gaps.

We are pleased to introduce the launch of our latest blog series, The Long Covid Diaries. In this new series, you’ll hear from people like you who have either personally experienced or have cared for those who feel the effects of Long Covid. These anecdotes intend to complement the ongoing investigations researchers from around the world are conducting to better understand Long Covid. You can also learn more about Long Covid by visiting our Long Covid Resource Centre, where we provide ongoing updates on Long Covid research.

 

Long Covid symptoms can have detrimental effects on the daily lives of those experiencing the syndrome, as we learned in our conversation with a sports medicine physician. In Hong Kong, we don’t know exactly how many cases of Long Covid there are currently since the main symptoms of Long Covid – fatigue, breathlessness, and/or brain fog – can also be associated with many other types of illnesses. But we have been able to learn more from directly talking to and caring for those who happen to be living with Long Covid. 

In our latest Long Covid Diaries blog, we spoke with Gareth who has been dealing with Long Covid symptoms over the past year. Gareth currently lives in Hong Kong and is the CEO of a digital marketing agency. Gareth has normally lived a very busy yet active and healthy lifestyle, often spending his weekends on hiking trails. But after experiencing a COVID-19 infection in March 2020, Gareth then spent months facing the physical and psychological toll of Long Covid.

Gareth visited OT&P in May 2020 when he was first experiencing Long Covid symptoms. We spoke with Gareth to check-in and see how he’s doing today, and to ask him what his experience over the past year has been living with the longer-term health effects of COVID-19. Click below to hear Gareth’s own words about the Long Covid symptoms that he (and potentially many others) have faced

Gareth's Long Covid Timeline

The COVID infection

March 2020

There were COVID-19 cases detected at both my gym and my office building. Very soon after, my wife and I quarantined at home for two weeks. During this time, I experienced: 

    1. The feeling of spacing out every so often,
    2. Gastrointestinal (GI) issues and food sensitivities,
    3. Poor sleep, and
    4. Slightly elevated heart rate.

But initially, I didn't really attribute these problems with COVID-19. I was expecting a significant cough and breathing trouble so I didn't make the connection that this could be a COVID-19 infection. I didn't have a temperature until weeks later, and my wife had a temperature for a day but otherwise was asymptomatic.

Something's still not right
Really struggling
"Is this my new life?"
"I was relieved to be told something is wrong with my brain!"
The COVID-19 jab, more tests, and new medications
"Not 100%, but 80%"
"I'm on rainbows"

Thank you wishes from Gareth to Dr. Trodd 

Lastly, I want to say that Dr. Trodd was always supportive and never invalidated or minimalised my symptoms as "all in my head." He was always patient and methodical in terms of ruling out different things and getting deeper and deeper with diagnostic tests.

Even when a lot of the first-line tests came back negative, Dr. Trodd remained persistent, insightful, and supportive enough to run tests like S100B, and push for treatments like IVIg. I'm incredibly grateful to Tim for sticking with me throughout the experience. Aside from the obviously beneficial clinical interventions just knowing you've got a medical professional on your side, fighting your corner makes the experience so much easier.

Are you experiencing Long Covid symptoms? We are interested in hearing about your experience. Reach out to us at longcovid@otandp.com.

Topics: Long COVID

OT&P Healthcare

OT&P Healthcare

OT&P Healthcare is a Premium Private Healthcare Practice in Hong Kong. Our priority is to help individuals to enhance and optimise their health by providing easy access to a wide range of excellent practitioners and information, supported by management systems and technology that ensure quality of service and value. Our Mission is to provide pre-eminent private healthcare in Hong Kong. We aim to be the best in class fully integrated healthcare service, providing a circle of care for all our patients' needs.

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