Long Covid: Three years and no magic bullet

I person had agelong Covid for 3 years. Even though I person made immense advancement I inactive endure astir days with chronic symptom successful my joints, a rolling consciousness of vertigo, fatigue and encephalon fog.

To look astatine maine you mightiness deliberation I'm good but it is achingly achy that I can't physically negociate the activities I utilized to enjoy.

Before Covid, I cycled each time - sometimes agelong distances for fun. I adjacent cycled astir East Africa.

But 3 years aft I archetypal caught the microorganism successful March 2020, I americium sitting connected an workout motorcycle successful a infirmary country successful Glasgow, with a disguise connected my look for my respiratory and lung relation testing, struggling to pedal.

The absorption of the instrumentality increases and I americium flagging badly.

The caregiver points retired they person had 80-year-olds who bash the aforesaid drill with little fuss. I americium 46.

Now, of course, what I person gone done bears nary examination to those inactive successful hospital, oregon those who person mislaid loved ones.

Most days I consciousness incredibly grateful for each the enactment I person received from friends, family, neighbours and strangers.

I'm besides thankful that I tin bash truthful overmuch much than I could successful those aboriginal stages.

But connected the atrocious days I consciousness remarkably frustrated I americium obscurity adjacent 100%.

I person written antecedently astir however I fell sick with Covid symptoms earlier the archetypal lockdown had adjacent started.

For weeks I was precise unwell and adjacent aft the archetypal corruption my symptoms lingered.

Months aboriginal I inactive suffered with precocious fevers, blinding headaches, migraines, vertigo, associated pain, breathlessness, gastrointestinal problems, chronic fatigue and fizzing successful my veins.

After 7 months I wrote astir what it felt similar to beryllium what was past termed a "long hauler". It took weeks to enactment together. I wrote the full happening lying horizontal successful my bed, typing with 1 digit connected my phone.

More than a twelvemonth aft my archetypal infection, I made a Panorama programme looking astatine agelong Covid and asked: "Will I ever get better?"

As a result, astir regular radical inactive inquire me: "Are you better? What person the doctors told you? What's the treatment? What's the cure? What's the answer?"

The information is I person recovered ways to negociate my symptoms but I'm acrophobic I don't person the answers.

Three years on, I wanted to cheque if I had missed immoderate large find truthful I went backmost to immoderate of the experts progressive successful the Panorama from July 2021.

Dr Elaine Maxwell, writer of the archetypal and 2nd reappraisal of agelong Covid for the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), tells maine determination is nary azygous aesculapian attraction oregon cause that tin cure the information rapidly and effectively.

"There is nary magic bullet," she says.

"But we are seeing probe that shows the agelong Covid clinics successful England are helping radical unrecorded with their symptoms.

"We would similar to find a cure but successful the interim determination are tons of semipermanent debilitating conditions that we cognize a batch astir however to manage."

Dr Maxwell says experts person not learnt overmuch much astir "causal mechanisms" of agelong Covid since the summertime of 2020.

"We inactive haven't got the grounds to accidental it is simply a azygous happening with a azygous origin nor a azygous treatment," she says.

Immunologist Professor Danny Altmann, astatine Imperial College London, has been looking astatine the mentation that for immoderate radical agelong Covid is an auto-immune condition, that the assemblage is attacking itself.

He has aboriginal indicators of humor biomarkers but nary conclusions and nary treatment.

"I would accidental carnivore with us," helium says.

"We are honestly trying. Our probe is going truly well. We person got tons of clues but we haven't got the answers.

"The statement is not wide astatine all."

Dr Altmann reassures me: "You person not missed the large answer."

At the constituent the Panorama programme went out, the UK was re-opening aft successive lockdowns.

It was inactive precocious connected the governmental docket to find treatments for Covid and agelong Covid but since past the absorption has dwindled.

A corporate amnesia has crept in. People privation to get connected with their lives.

The latest ONS figures from February 2023 bespeak astir 2 cardinal radical successful the UK person agelong Covid. But the postulation of specified figures and the Covid figures much mostly has been paused.

Research information suggests betwixt 2% and 20% of radical who declaration Covid volition spell connected to person longer word symptoms.

Dr Maxwell says: "It is wide that radical who person been vaccinated person a reduced incidence of agelong Covid and the fig of radical processing agelong Covid seems to beryllium going down.

"The trouble with that is that determination is simply a radical of you who got Covid precise aboriginal connected and inactive person symptoms and yet the attraction and argumentation has moved distant from it.

"There is simply a batch of speculation astir what agelong Covid is, particularly amongst diligent advocacy groups, and the communicative has go polarised."

Prof Alan Carson, of Edinburgh University, tells maine helium does not request to spot biomarkers successful the humor to cognize the symptoms radical are experiencing are perfectly real, genuine and "appalling".

"As a doc if you request a biomarker oregon a screening trial to amusement abnormalities aft 2 hours of listening to a diligent astir their symptoms, past you are intelligibly successful the incorrect job," helium says.

Prof Carson compares those who suggest agelong Covid is "all successful the head" to radical who judge the world is flat.

He was the archetypal idiosyncratic who could explicate successful a mode that I understood what was happening to maine and however the connection systems betwixt my encephalon and different organs successful my assemblage had gone awry.

I was 1 of the participants successful his survey looking astatine the interaction of agelong Covid connected the encephalon and arsenic portion of that I underwent an MRI scan.

It was terrifying to hold for the results but reassuring to cognize determination was nary evident harm to my encephalon and I should marque a afloat recovery.

Prof Carson agrees determination is nary magic slug but believes powerfully that determination are tried and tested rehabilitative processes that volition assistance people.

He besides says determination are precise antithetic subgroups of radical with agelong Covid - including those who person imperishable harm to lungs oregon different organs and radical who, similar me, person wide tests but ongoing symptoms.

"The occupation from the opening was the presumption that agelong Covid was 1 thing," helium says.

"It is similar trying to survey apples by looking astatine a full effect bowl.

"There is nary doubt, for example, that immoderate hospitalised patients person been near with imperishable fibrotic scarring to the lungs but lumping those patients unneurotic successful studies with those who person nary harm is problematic.

"It means we're near with a scope of inflammatory abnormalities that we don't rather understand."

Prof Carson adds: "As a diligent what you desperately request to cognize is 'will this attraction marque maine amended oregon worse?'

"You privation to cognize whether you are going to get better."

Since I wrote that archetypal portion for the BBC, I person been contacted by hundreds of radical with agelong Covid and ME (Myalgic encephalomyelitis), different information which has what Prof Carson refers to arsenic "constellations" of symptoms.

Some person suggested treatments. Some person suggested I springiness up and judge I volition ne'er get better. Most person asked for what I person tried and what has helped.

Clearly I americium not an adept and not a idiosyncratic truthful I tin lone constitute astir what has helped maine personally and what has not.

Many radical person told maine they deliberation agelong Covid refers to tiredness. In galore ways that is the slightest of it.

On atrocious days the full country and everything successful it spins perpetually and my bones divided with pain.

But I person managed to bash things that 2 years agone I thought would beryllium intolerable including returning to enactment - albeit part-time - and doing unrecorded TV.

Previously I was terrified I would spell connected aerial and beryllium blindsided by the encephalon fog oregon that I would virtually vanish retired of changeable due to the fact that I was truthful dizzy. But I person managed.

For me, accent is the biggest trigger for worsening symptoms. I find it intolerable to debar but effort to astatine slightest negociate it each day.

Almost each time I spell for a prevarication down successful the afternoon. In the bureau I person a quiescent country to remainder in. Without that I would conflict to work. I americium truthful fortunate that I person managed to support my job, support my location - truthful galore others with agelong Covid person been acold little fortunate.

I transportation astir an oculus disguise and headphones truthful adjacent if I americium retired filming I tin spell and curl up successful a country and unopen retired the satellite astir maine due to the fact that sensory overload is inactive precise overmuch a problem.

I aquatics 3 to 4 times a week. I started successful September 2021 by swimming for 2 minutes. By September 2022 I was capable to aquatics for an hour.

I person recovered that if I don't spell to the excavation regularly the associated symptom and headaches go unbearable. Sometimes I lone person the vigor to bash 5 minutes successful a league but it inactive helps.

One of the biggest improvements for maine came erstwhile I was referred to Glasgow's Centre for Integrative Care which specialises successful semipermanent conditions.

I was helped to negociate my days and my symptoms by Dr Bridie O'Dowd and their mindfulness programme.

It is not thing I would person considered antecedently but I inactive effort to usage what I learnt each day.

As portion of that she helped patients recognize the request to physique tiny things into each time which bring joyousness - adjacent if it is conscionable sitting successful the plot oregon speechmaking a book.

I bash breathing exercises and yoga arsenic often arsenic I tin and effort to gait my activities. Singing lessons helped with my breathing and I've precocious joined a choir.

A twelvemonth agone I started connected a cause recommended by Prof Carson which is utilized for a assortment of antithetic purposes but which for maine has meant a immense simplification successful the changeless consciousness of vertigo.

In December past twelvemonth I thought I was doing amended than ever but past got Covid again and struggled to recover.

Frustrated, I tried hyperbaric oxygen.

It was an absorbing experience. It felt similar it helped a small but I did not travel retired bounding with vigor nor escaped of symptom and encephalon fog.

I'm alert immoderate person recovered its powerfulness to beryllium miraculous. I americium gladsome for them. It was not a occurrence cure for me.

I americium acold much alert present of however galore radical are managing silently with invisible symptoms including chronic symptom and chronic fatigue for a scope of conditions including agelong Covid.

I often consciousness overwhelmed by the cognition and the information I can't hole them nor myself.

I'm penning this not due to the fact that it is comfy oregon amusive to constitute astir the condition, but due to the fact that I americium doing truthful overmuch amended present - 3 years connected - and I anticipation that successful immoderate tiny mode it mightiness assistance different radical to cognize that.

Ultimately I would similar to cognize erstwhile I volition get amended and if I volition ever get backmost to 100% but I americium grateful to travel arsenic acold arsenic I have.