‘I might never get back to where I was before’: the people struggling with long COVID

Andrea, 44, is still suffering from the after-effects of COVID-19 eleven-months on, she wonders if she'll ever get back to where she was before contracting the virus

The World Health Organisation said a significant proportion of those who have survived COVID-19 were asking when and whether their health will be fully restored
The World Health Organisation said a significant proportion of those who have survived COVID-19 were asking when and whether their health will be fully restored

Andrea (last name withheld), 44, tested positive for COVID-19 on 4 April and has battled with the virus’s after-effects for eleven-months

To this day, she is still unsure if she will ever get back to where she was before contracting COVID-19. MaltaToday first spoke to Andrea back in October 2020; this paper now speaks to her again.

“Before contracting COVID-19, I was a very active person; contracting COVID-19 has changed all that… until December, I was still experiencing shortness of breath. I was still on an inhaler with steroids. During the Christmas period, on my doctor’s advice, I went to get a chest X-ray; thank God, though, there was no permanent damage to my lungs.

“However, the muscle pain and, to an extent, the fatigue still has not gone away… I never regained the muscle strength I had before contracting COVID-19. I’m talking about my back, hands, knees; it affected everything. It worries me; I volunteer for an NGO, and even 11 months on, I don’t think I’ll be able to catch up: I worry that the activity will be too much for me.

“I also find myself having panic attacks – whenever I go into an office or a crowded shop. And despite what people say, you still find these places. I have anxiety because I worry about getting the virus again. I see people hugging, and it puts me off. COVID affected my mental health immensely.

“Sometimes, I drive past cafés and restaurants (note: this article was written before the closure of restaurants and snack bars), and I see them packed, not following guidelines. Or I see people walking in Gzira without masks, no enforcement. I’m shocked. People do not understand how dangerous this virus can be.

“I’m not in favour of a lockdown per se, but more enforcement is needed. The authorities’ and the attitude of the prime minister that it’s business as usual has only made the situation worse. I’ve grown fed-up with the attitude of the Maltese in general. I haven’t seen my daughter in the UK for over a year due to the virus. People need to start taking it seriously.” 

Long COVID

The UK’s National Institute for Health Research coined the term “long COVID” in a report on people living with the long-term ramifications of COVID-19, finding an ongoing COVID effect among them, and that that number was likely to increase in the coming months.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) said a significant proportion of those who have survived COVID-19 were asking when and whether their health will be fully restored. “These are the many thousands who are experiencing post-COVID conditions,” the organisation said. The WHO said that the burden is real, and it is significant: about 1 in 10 COVID-19 suffers remains unwell after 12 weeks, and many for much longer.

Then there are the mental ramifications of COVID-19. An Italian study found that 30% of patients who recovered from COVID-19 developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Among the 381 patients who were followed, those who developed PTSD were more likely to be women, had higher rates of history of psychiatric disorder, and were more likely to have had delirium or agitation during their acute illness.