Health by Rachel Garrod: coping with long COVID

ONGOING PROBLEMS FOR LONG COVID SUFFERERS

BY RACHEL GARROD

COVID-19 has caused devastation, leaving millions of people worldwide grieving and many suffering financial difficulties. However, with the roll-out of vaccines and the cautious lifting of restrictions, the world may begin to breathe a collective sigh of relief. Not so for the estimated one million people in the UK living with Long COVID. Long haulers, as they are known, may have had mild initial symptoms, are as likely as not to have been hospitalised and are generally under 50 years of age, with women slightly more predisposed than men. For long haulers the initial COVID-19 symptoms may have resolved as expected, but weeks later they begin to experience any number of strange new symptoms. Long COVID attacks a myriad of organs, leading to numerous reported symptoms such as diarrhoea and nausea, muscle pain and weakness, dizziness and heart palpitations and, in an overwhelming number of people, fatigue. Fatigue is the relentless presence of tiredness and exhaustion, mental and physical, unrelieved by sleep. The Office of National Statistics estimates the prevalence of fatigue at five weeks post COVID-19 to be around 12 per cent. My 40-year-old stepdaughter is one of these, with fatigue so profound she is struggling to walk to the end of her street and looking after her newlywalking son is almost impossible. But there are good and bad days. The unpredictable nature of Long COVID, as well as the many unknowns, makes this condition particularly hard to treat. Sufferers have formed many self-help groups, podcasts, Facebook groups and the like, and are exploring the potential benefits of vitamins such as B12, Vitamin C and D and a low histamine diet. At present there is no research supporting this approach, but anecdotal evidence from the Long COVID community suggests some people may find relief. Since there is little hard evidence for treatment approaches (although significant funding has been put into addressing the problem) patient experience is guiding management. One thing that seems to be coming through strongly, in the management of fatigue, is the need for rest. Patients tell us that even very small amounts of activity can have significant debilitating effects for days or weeks. Listening to your body appears to be crucial; the inconsistent nature of the problem makes it hard to plan daily activities. However, learning what can be done within “your daily package of energy” seems to be key. Breathing exercises, relaxation and meditation may help relieve anxiety associated with Long Covid, but for now we can only hope cures are forthcoming. And remain positive, as the longer-term evidence is that most people do eventually make a full recovery.

Rachel Garrod (Ph.D. Physiotherapist) specialises in physiotherapy for older people with chronic respiratory disease and other chronic illnesses. rachelgarrod1@gmail.com Tel. (+34) 699 501 190