Living with Long COVID
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 19 November 2021
⏱️ 11 minutes
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Summary
These long-term effects of a COVID infection - called post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, PASC, or more simply long COVID - have been a reality for many patients since the start of the pandemic.
While it is not known exactly how common long COVID is, it isn't rare. One study found that some 30% of participants across multiple age ranges reported persistent symptoms. For some, symptoms fade after a few months, while for others, long COVID feels like their new reality.
NPR's Mallory Yu has been reporting on long COVID and gathered the stories of patients who are desperate for answers.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | So it's 8.06 a.m. |
| 0:02.8 | Before she got sick this January, |
| 0:05.0 | Semhara Fesea was a healthy, active 39-year-old woman. |
| 0:09.3 | I can already tell that today's going to be a recovery day. |
| 0:14.2 | She took 45-minute walks every day. |
| 0:16.6 | She was starting to plan summer vacations |
| 0:18.6 | with her nine-year-old daughter. |
| 0:20.0 | I woke up with a deep fatigue. |
| 0:24.4 | I had a four-activity day yesterday. |
| 0:27.3 | That deep fatigue is one of the most frequently reported |
| 0:30.6 | long-term effects of COVID-19. |
| 0:33.4 | Now, even activities that many of us take for granted |
| 0:36.5 | can come at a big cost for her. |
| 0:39.5 | I showered. |
| 0:42.4 | I bathed my daughter. |
| 0:44.8 | I went for a walk and I washed the dishes, |
| 0:49.3 | which is a lot in one day. |
| 0:51.2 | Fesea also experiences chest pain and a racing heart. |
| 0:55.5 | My heart rate has been pretty up and down. |
| 0:58.5 | It's gone up to 120s, 130s. |
| 1:03.8 | Without any real activity. |
| 1:07.0 | So I'm going to take it easy today, |
... |
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