Physics Girl & the Devastating Effects of Long COVID

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ABOUT: Rebecca Watson is the founder of the Skepchick Network, a collection of sites focused on science and critical thinking. She has written for outlets such as Slate, Popular Science, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. She's also the host of Quiz-o-tron, a rowdy, live quiz show that pits scientists against comedians. Asteroid 153289 Rebeccawatson is named after her (her real name being 153289).

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[briangarrow]

My primary medical care provider, who was my son’s provider for over 8 years, contracted long Covid and has retired from her medical practice. I am so distraught about her condition and I hope that she will recover somehow. She is an incredible human being who was instrumental in helping me through my medical issues. She is another casualty of the global pandemic, as was multiple friends of mine and my brother, who died from the side effects of Covid. So many wonderful people have been cut down by this terrible disease.

[anniee]

Thank you for covering this! I was diagnosed with ME/CFS last year after being sick for 2 years. After I got sick i couldnt even finish high school. I really hope long covid research can help us all. It was really disheartening that my country, Sweden, shut down multiple CFS clinics in 2020 even after doctors warned that covid would cause more fatigue patients. Theres only one clinic now. I really appreciate you educating people. its a very weird diagnosis to explain to people, some dont even think its real.

[lanydaen]

I've had ME/CFS for years and the amount of dismissal from healthcare professionals is crazy. If you experience severe symptoms that last for a week they'll absolutely run tests on you and take you seriously, but if they haven't gone away after a few months somehow everyone goes "well that's your life now best get used to it". I've literally had a doctor refer me to therapy because I clearly practiced insufficient acceptance of my symptoms, based solely on the fact that I find the energy to walk into their office and ask if there's anything new we can try literally once every 2 years. Despite my life being upended by the disease apparently I mostly need a good dose of "get over it" and "stop complaining".

While long covid is terrible and Diana's situation especially, I hope that doctors now finally will be able to take ME/CFS sufferers seriously and not just literally just write us off as a lost cause to be ignored.

[DalekSek]

There seems to be a class of neurological diseases that doctors don't understand and don't care much about. The disaster of how they used to treat CFS is an example of doctors thinking that these illnesses are all just their patients being lazy and sad.

[alexobery]

When I first saw her video I was completely shocked at the scope and severity of symptoms, and happening to someone young, prominent and science supporting. If this is how she's fairing, imagine how bad those who didn't take any precautions are, except they don't trust scientists or medical industries, so they might be hiding their cases until they die.

[Card_Crazed]

My husband and adult daughter have Fibromyalgia/Chronic Fatigue for years. Yes, they can go through spells like Physics Girl is going through. There are times when going to the bathroom is the accomplishment for the day (especially when the pain is flaring). They both live in constant pain, but, we as a family have managed. On good days, we do stuff. On bad days, it's just sit at the computer or TV.... on the worst days, it's stay in bed... although staying in bed results in more pain from the lack of movement. It's a personal hell that I would not wish on anyone.

[debbiehenri]

My neighbours caught the original Covid strain, the wife has been left with Long Covid.
She has not been able to taste or smell anything at all since the day she caught Covid. She has constant fatigue, not as bad as Dianne's - but she sleeps through one day, has some energy to move around the next, and sometimes has enough energy to drive a few miles to briefly visit one or two shops or maybe her parents (fortunately, they're quite near). She has not been able to drive outside of town since Covid. It's too tiring for her.

[WhatAboutZoidberg]

Thanks again for a clear headed and rational analysis of what is going on. Its really scary and I'm glad these conditions are getting more funding. My wife has a similar condition that is only diagnosed by ruling out everything else and it took YEARS for them to treat her properly and not like she was faking it.

[CaseyGarske]

Not only this, but I thought I had long covid after I got over it, but turns out I had atrial fibrillation because Covid can fuck up your heart. This put me in the hospital after a few weeks not knowing I had it, and I had blood clots in my heart, so I had to deal with it for months while the clots dissolved before I could have surgery to correct it. I am back to 100%, but I'll take heart meds for the rest of my life.
And a friend developed debilitating Scleroderma right after having covid. Apparently covid can spark auto-immune diseases. This took forever to diagnose and she's been dealing with it for months and months. It's all terrible!

[Camilshka]

Thanks for this. My friend is going through this and it’s scary watching her go downhill. Thank you for the info, for spreading the news, and I hope the scientific community make progress really soon.

[etherealclarity]

My mom has had ME/CFS for years prior to the pandemic hitting (she had a brief reprieve for maybe 6 months and then a recurrence that persists to this day) and it's very possible that seeing the impact on her is part of what has kept me so vigilant about Covid precautions even when 98% of the people around me have basically gone back to normal.

[meikgeik]

Monoclonal anti-bodies (Evusheld) completely got rid of my long covid I was experiencing. I was sleeping 12-13 hours a day, barely working. Always in pain, and it was like a light switched flipped a couple days after my injection. I realized I was like jogging around the house, I hadn't had a nap all day, I wanted to cook a full meal. What works is different for so many people, but a lot of the motivation for research on treatments like this have died off. There's more money in treating symptoms than resolving diseases for people. :(

[cherylcarlson]

After illness in 2016 developed all symptoms of MG, no antibodies so was called CFS. When got Covid March 2020 could barely breathe without bipap and oxygen, still was being told all in head. 2021 started med for MG, breathing, brain fog, ability to walk improving slowly. Still unable to work, follow knitting pattern, lift more than 15 lb on good day . Tired of medical gaslighting

[darrenk]

ME/CFS really is this bad. I went from a promising young academic who was insanely fit and healthy to bedridden for months, housebound for years, and now just doing my best to hold down a job so I can stay alive. My brain struggles to read new books. I cannot remember anyone's name. If I crash even a little, I'll be ordering takeout for a week because even making instant noodles is too much. And I'm one of the lucky ones.

It's really baffling how little this disease is taken seriously. There are studies decades old showing abnormalities on brain scans. I have an actual textbook on the condition published in 1991. Yet you still get people who think it isn't real.

[beepbopboop]

Chronic illness after a virus is common. Many people never fully recover from a virus and show symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ ME/ Fibromyalgia there after.

[thecaveofthedead]

My old man who used to be a cardiologist sent me an invite to sit in on a talk by a very senior cardiac researcher for a well known US medical school talk to cardiologists here in South Africa about long COVID. There was no question in the virtual room of whether it was real (these folks had all seen a lot of it). And he said that it was pretty clear that the effects on the heart were not local but probably due to malfunctioning in the autonomic nervous system. I remember being pretty stunned to think that the part of your brain responsible for breathing and keeping your heart beating could be affected long-term by COVID.

[scarlettohara]

I'm glad you're talking about this cause I also have long covid and often don't get believed. It gave me POTS and ME/CFS now I'm so dizzy and tired all the time I can barely function ✌️

[lynn]

Why am I still wearing masks? This. Exactly this.

[phillylifer]

It is sad how that i never thought of her during this period because youtube stopped recommending in my feed. I hate to think of Physics girl being taken down this way when her brand is exuberance.

[jaimeduncan]

I understand Diana was vaccinated. If that is the case that is one reason authorities have moderated the stance. Also, we saw that with each boost, in particular in the case of men and boys the risk of cardiopathy increases. It seems to be that we are in a no-win situation.