More than a year after testing positive for COVID-19, 35-year-old Katrina Basimike is still fighting persisting fatigue and has to take vitamins daily in order to do her normal tasks.

She is one of thousands of people across the world suffering from persisting symptoms consistent with COVID-19, a condition called ‘long COVID’. Common symptoms of long COVID according to the World Health Organisation include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, as well as other symptoms that generally have an impact on everyday functioning.

According to the WHO, one in 10 people who get infected with COVID-19 will experience long COVID-19. Symptoms may be new onset following initial recovery from a COVID-19 episode, or persist from the initial illness.

Basimike tested positive for COVID-19 in December 2020. Her symptoms, which lasted for about 10 days, consisted of headache, back ache and fatigue. She was not hospitalised.

However, in April 2021, she started suffering from shortness of breath, dizziness and fatigue, symptoms that she continues to experience on and off.

In the beginning, doctors could not explain the cause of her symptoms as she had just recovered from COVID-19 three months earlier.

“I visited a private doctor and they did some tests but the results come back normal. My vitals were fine but I felt dizzy, got headaches and I was always tired. I was struggling to breathe,” Basimike said, adding that her family were worried as there seemed to be no explanation for her symptoms.

She was referred to a specialist.

“The specialist found that my lungs were not functioning properly. He said my heart was also not getting enough oxygen. I was later told it is long COVID or post COVID-19. It was a relief to be given an explanation, but it was also very scary to know that this is serious and that I could have died. I have heard many stories like that, of people who recovered from COVID-19 but died later,” the mother of three narrated.

Basimike said the condition is stressful as it has also affected her work as a primary school teacher.

“Walking should not be difficult, it should not make you as if there is not enough oxygen. If I don’t take vitamins even for one day, the fatigue comes back and I feel weak,” she said.

Suffering from long COVID is also costly.

“I am fortunate to have medical aid which covers most of my bills because this is a costly condition. I realised that eating healthy and exercising helps manage the condition, but this is not cheap. Vitamins are not cheap without medical aid.”

Physician specialist Dr Ismael Katjitae, who is also part of the National COVID-19 case management pillar, said cases of long COVID have been on the increase in Namibia.

“A person can get infected with COVID-19 and only show mild symptoms that do not require them to get hospitalised, but four weeks later they start to show persisting symptoms of COVID-19.”

He said what makes the condition even more worrisome is that a person continues to test negative for COVID-19 and examinations would typically not show any anomaly.

“This is very frustrating for patients because they have these symptoms that are affecting their work, but no one seems to be able to explain them. We are seeing young people unable to concentrate, feeling like zombies, they have brain fog and are losing their memory, but there seems to be no explanation for it. A doctor will give the diagnosis of long COVID if they are aware that the patient had previously tested positive.”

With regards to available treatment, Dr Katjitae said there is currently no specific treatment for long COVID, adding that while some developed countries are working on trials for treatment, most have not yet reached developing countries.

“We give you painkiller to manage the pain. Patients are referred to different therapists and specialists to assist in managing symptoms, but there is really no cure.”

He noted that these are some of the reasons why people are being asked to get vaccinated, to adhere to regulations and to not intentionally expose themselves to COVID-19.

“They might not end up in hospital, but they may develop this horrible long COVID which is hard to diagnose and even harder to treat. It is a horrible thing to go through. We are seeing young patients, young mothers, coming and complaining about all these worrisome symptoms that are lasting months and yet X-rays and blood tests do not show anything wrong. They are being referred from one doctor to another, spending money trying to find answers. Patients are placed on anti-depressants and others on antipsychotic medication. We are pleading for everyone to exercise caution and to not relax. We are not out of the woods yet.”

Source: The Namibian Press Agency