‘I am certainly not the way I was pre-COVID’
Two COVID-19 survivors speak of their suffering from the long-term effects of the virus
Sufferers of prolonged symptoms of COVID-19 should be offered a follow-up package, including heart and lung checks, as well as counselling sessions, to put their anxious minds at rest, one coronavirus ‘long-hauler’ has suggested.
Long COVID, the informal name for the condition characterised by long-term symptoms after the typical convalescence period, including fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath and brain fog, is, in fact, the subject of ongoing studies worldwide, and local research is about to start, but it is too early to draw conclusions.
Meanwhile, health systems have been encouraged to deal with this group of patients suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome by creating specialised clinics and providing advice.
This is what cardiac nurse Belma Camilleri is calling for – “a form of VRT” for people like herself, who feel they cannot shake off the symptoms, but are left to their own devices.
Camilleri contracted the virus in November, but still experiences chest pain and fatigue.
Aware of the complex logistics and lack of resources to set up the “follow-up package”, Camilleri still...