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I wrote about COVID-19 long-haulers—the thousands of people who’ve been struggling with *months* of debilitating symptoms. Many have faced disbelief from friends and medical professionals because they don’t fit the typical profile of the disease. 1/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/1857/11/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
Most of them haven’t been hospitalized so their cases technically count as “mild.” But their lives have nonetheless been flattened by rolling waves of symptoms, inc. weeks of fever, delirium, crushing fatigue. Many are young & were previously healthy. 2/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/1857/11/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
They're a crucial and largely overlooked part of the pandemic narrative. Many have doubted themselves, been gaslit and dismissed, been told it's all in their heads. 3/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/1857/11/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
And all of this, of course, is what people with ME/CFS and other similar illnesses have been dealing with for decades. The overlap between those conditions and long-term COVID-19 make up the final part of this piece. 4/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/1857/11/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
It struck me while reporting this that many long-haulers I interviewed have had symptoms for *the whole time* I've been writing about the pandemic. Throughout the mask debate, the hydroxychloroquine debate, the reopening debate, they've been sick. 5/https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/06/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
I hope this piece helps long-haulers feel more seen. And I hope everyone else notes @sarahmarieramey's quote: "The illness itself is horrible and ravaging, but being told you’ve made it up, over and over again, is by far the worst of it.”https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/06/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
(We had a brief logistical hiccup, but this piece is now off the Atlantic's paywall, and part of our free pandemic coverage. As always, if our work is valuable to you, and you have the means, subscriptions really help us: https://accounts.theatlantic.com/products/ )https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/06/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
One more thing. It's not my place to give medical advice, but I'll highlight a common theme from the COVID long-haulers & ME/CFS folks I've heard from: Rest is really important, and trying to "push through it" can lead to relapses & a much worse baseline.https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/06/covid-19-coronavirus-longterm-symptoms-months/612679/ …
Of course, none of this comes as any surprise to those of us with #MECFS - I just have to wonder, how in God's name can there be a "typical profile" of a disease that has only existed on this earth for about 6-7 months??
And yet doctors "disbelieve" patients as if they somehow know how things are "supposed' to go. Just shows you how ingrained the bias against chronic illness is - illnesses MUST end with return to perfect health or else the patient is to blame for not pulling themselves together!
I once had a mild "viral syndrome" that lingered for several months. I could function but it was quite frightening to feel that I might never return to full health. I did, but the experience was life-changing.
Week 10 or 11 with covid and this is definitely life changing...even if I recover it will continue to be life changing. I'm glad you recovered from your "viral syndrome". I hope the same for all of us still suffering.
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