As the country begins to open up and we move towards more normality, 23 year-old Heather Campbell – a staff nurse at University Hospital Wishaw – is a stark reminder that Covid-19 is still out there and can cause long-term health issues.
Heather, from Motherwell, was a fit and healthy before she took unwell last November with Covid-19 symptoms. She had no underlying health issues but was unwell for three weeks at home.
Heather said: “I was fairly unwell at home for around three weeks and my symptoms took a long time to settle. I was treated with oral antibiotics and a steroid inhaler for a lower respiratory tract infection in December.
“However, I have never recovered and other symptoms I have to live with daily include a loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, spiking temperatures and fevers, muscle and joint aches, tachycardia, heart palpitations, chest pain, headaches, eye aches, initial hallucinations, difficulty sleeping, abdominal pains, confusion and brain fog. Physical activity, including walking at a slow pace, aggravates symptoms and can leave me with joint and muscle pains and in bed for days afterwards.”
Heather says she is a completely different person from who she was eight months ago. She added: “I never would have expected at 23 to be so unable to do things that before were so easy. I don’t feel 23 anymore, I feel so much older.
“I’d urge everyone to remain vigilant and stick to the rules as much as possible. I understand the desire to want to meet friends and family in big groups without masks or social distancing after such a long period of time, however, I am an example that any young, fit and healthy individual could be affected so heavily by Covid.
“I would also urge everyone who is eligible to get their vaccinations to protect themselves and others.”
Around one in ten people suffer from prolonged illness after Covid-19. Recovery from Covid can take many weeks – even months – until people start to feel themselves again.
