Long Covid: A parallel pandemic

Many people may never be able to put the pandemic behind them. They have long Covid, a catch-all term for illness that lingers long after a Covid-19 infection. More than 200 symptoms have been reported by patients, from hair loss and incontinence to severe tremors, anxiety, extreme fatigue and heart palpitations. “Even if the pandemic virus spread were to stop today, we still have tens of millions of people suffering long Covid,” says Yale immunologist Akiko Iwasaki. “That’s a parallel pandemic that’s happening, which is getting a lot less attention than the acute and severe Covid.”

In this video, we hear from people struggling with long Covid and what scientists have learned about the condition — or conditions — so far. Iwasaki explains long Covid’s diverse effects on the body — on the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory and cardiac systems, and more — and the search for biological origins. Long Covid is likely more than one disease, but without biomarkers that indicate who will get long Covid and the ways each case will manifest, personalizing treatments is challenging. The prevalence of long Covid has been a wake-up call, Iwasaki says, for society to investigate other syndromes that emerge after a viral infection.

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Stay in the know — connect today:

[theaw]

I am 14 years old and I have been fighting long covid for a year now. I can’t walk, eat, read and so much more and just watching this and seeing that someone is trying to help makes me cry. I have almost taken my life sevral times due to not being listned to. So please never doubt someone when they say they are in pain.

[puremaledark]

I also cried watching this. Everyone thought I was
Im not the same person anymore.

[Micktheadventurer]

I'm a 33 year old man, I've caught covid, possibly 4 times. First was in March 2020, the most serious was in November 2021. I thought I was going to die in November. I haven't been okay since.. today I'm having a bad day and that's why I'm watching these videos. I just want to be okay, no one believes me and I've lost jobs because of it. I can't get in the doctors. I feel utterly hopeless. I can't even articulate how much has gone wrong from this virus. I just want it to end.

[jiggsborah]

I wanted to cry watching this.
I caught the virus in July/ August 2020 . It's been 2 full years now.
It's terrifying and many times I thought I was going to die. The dizziness. Tinnitus. Memory loss. Lethargy and fatigue.
I have NOT encountered sympathy.
I was a very active 57 year old man ... building my retirement home in the countryside near a large lake. I'm an old 59 years now. Virtually inactive. I can't do anything for long anymore.
I just sold my property because I don't have any income.
One day at a time.
God bless you all 💕

[RingJando]

It is absurd & revoltingly selfish for anyone not to believe that these damaged individuals are not telling the truth about the severe pain & confusion they are experiencing - @18:31

[judymiller]

What she says makes so much sense to me. About 15 years ago I got Cronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, then, Influenza, Whooping cough and was intermittently bedridden for 3 years. I have 5 blown discs and cronic inflammation. I came good after around 4 years. Six months after covid it seems most of that is affecting me again. I got over it before, I'll get over it again. I feel so bad for all you out there who are suffering, God bless.

[endiliel]

My sister caught Covid in early December 2021. She was very very sick for at least 3 weeks, and very weak at Christmas. In January she seemed to be on the mend, but in February her health took a bad turn. She started getting all-over body jerks, like you sometimes get when falling asleep. But these were repetitive and very strong, and resulted in an overnight stay in the hospital. She came home to be about 95% bedridden for the next 6 months, being cared for by our 80 year of mother.

Her initial diagnosis became a bane and burden she could not get any doctors to get past. She was mis-diagnosed with anxiety because her heart pounded so hard and her blood pressure was so high. Doctors persisted in trying to treat her for anxiety instead of exploring what was truly going on. After months of unhelpful visits to neurologists and cardiologists with no answers, she researched her symptoms on her own. She discovered they closely matched both POTS and Fibromyalgia. After implementing therapy practices for those, also on her own, she began to recover.

Though she is still not yet capable of returning to work, she has returned to a moderate version of her previous life. She can now spend 95% of her day out of bed instead of flat on her back. She can now leave home for short shopping trips. She can return to making her own meals and doing her own housework, though at a much slower pace than before. As time goes by and she continues these therapies, she continues to slowly improve. We have no idea if she will ever be able to return to the work force, but she is now able to babysit her granddaughter and enjoy life again.

[nancywidener]

I cried watching this. I had Covid in September 2020. I still suffer with shortness of breath, fatigue and muscle/joint aches. At the time I had the virus, they took an xray to rule out pneumonia...and the xray was clear (or so they said). Fast forward a year later, I had a Cardiac Cat Scan (looking for hardening of the arteries because since covid....I have heart palpitations), they found something called bronchiectesis (which is basically scarring from a virus) in the base of both lungs. Apparently, I did have covid pneumonia but it was unable to be seen on an xray. I was told if I they had cone a Chest CT at the time, they would have seen it. My doctors don't take me seriously. They keep telling me there is nothing wrong with me. I get frustrated very often because I am not crazy. I have not felt the same since I had covid. My heart goes out to all people who have suffered and are still suffering with this. It's strange, but I do take some comfort in knowing I am not alone. Thanks for this video.

[ms.jenkinskbclassroom]

A parallel crisis. This is truly an attack on humanity.

[juliebaldwin]

My husband died one year ago today he had four vaccinations for Covid. They called what he had long Covid 😢

[FYFEE]

How many of these people have been vaccinated? How long after injection did the reaction start?

[petersdotter]

I'm convinced this is a form of post-viral syndrome. I have had ME/CFS for 31 years as a result of reactivated EBV, and I see the same symptoms in long-covid sufferers. This article is very detailed and informative. I hope more doctors will take this disease seriously.

[sherylvalentiner]

It’s such a shame. As a chronically I’ll person, I have empathy. There are MILLIONS of us, had nothing to do with Covid, because I was diagnosed 15 years ago. The medical profession suggests meds, no “cure”, not sure they’re even looking. Bless you for trying to help the long Covid patients.

[Tacoman]

I lost my Vagal nerve that controls the stomach. My stomach acid can be out of control some days. I looked into help to collect disability. There's no help out there. I worked my whole life, paid my taxes and at age 55 they have turned their back to me. An MRI would show this fact. We are suffering. Why won't they listen?

[lilnugget]

My son has suffered a complete mental breakdown from covid. He had mild symptoms but five days after he got better, 10 days after becoming infected, he instantly got severe anxiety that had him pacing the floor for hours on end, he began to believe that his father and I were not his real parents, he was making these incredibly odd decisions and believed celebrities were talking to him or about him through there posts, he also had days where he thought this was all a simulation. I took him to doctors who brushed me off. I knew it was covid. Eventually I just flooded his system with homeopathic anti-inflammatory herbs and a ton of love and after 3 months he was back to normal. He got covid again! And like clockwork the symptoms came back with a vengeance. We are thankfully at the end of it now with some lingering symptoms but I am terrified of covid now. The complete psychotic break it brought on in my son who has NEVER had any mental health issues before and no family history of it either. And before you ask yes some of the doctors I went to were psychological. I can't tell you how terrifying it is to see your child so ill and know you are his only hope for getting him better.

[Levi-emym]

This women is an angel and I hope she succeeds in finding some sort of therapy and cure for so many people suffering from this terrible disease.

[naomisims]

Glad you are discussing the suicide issue which seems to me is being ignored. My uncle committed suicide after covid in 2021. Prior, he was a strong, healthy, independent, socially active man with no symptoms of dementia in his 80s. Covid suddenly & severely affected his cognition, & he just couldn't deal with that.
It's clear to me that covid's long term effects are devastating, & those suffering need so much more support than they are receiving. Praying that all of you will find the help & strength you need to face all the challenges ahead. I'm very thankful that there are covid longhaul groups where people can find others going thru the same difficulties.

[GungaLaGunga]

Any other tachycardia personal anecdotes in long covid suffers???

Hi fellow long haulers. Anyone experience tachycardia (high heart rate)???
I've had two episodes of what was quickly diagnosed as supraventricular tachycardia. Was sitting at home watching tv, heart rate went from resting to 160 in about 5 seconds. Had to go to ER. IV meds corrected first SVT episode. 2nd episode, ER had to do cardioversion electric shock to reset my heart. Don't let doctors tell you "it's all in your head" Vaxed plus one booster May 2021. First Covid infection June 2022. First SVT episode March 2023, 2nd June 2023. And here I am. Bummer. thanks for reading.

[fzrms]

All of these symptoms sound exactly like neurological lyme disease. Millions of us have been suffering for many many years with no help.

[babatwofive]

My daughter got long COVID after her booster shot...a week later she was infected with the disease. I think you need more study about the vaccine, and its effect on long Covid.