When Amy Tennenbaum graduated from Dalhousie University on Friday, she hopes she has the strength to go through the stage to get her degree.
Tenenbaum’s life changed dramatically after a positive COVID-19 test in January. The 22-year-old – who is from Rhode Island – is one of several hundred people in Nova Scotia who are currently experiencing symptoms of prolonged COVID. She is so weak that she uses a wheelchair when she has to leave home.
“I can’t walk for more than a few minutes without panting and having a really high heart rate and chest pain,” she said. “At 22, I can’t really leave my house or do anything without help.
Tenenbaum fell ill in January, when the Omicron variant quickly spread across the countryside. She and her roommates experienced some common symptoms and recovered quickly. She returned to class and resumed her work as a server.
In February, she began to feel dizzy and weak. One night, on her way home from a friend’s house, she collapsed.
“My heart rate increased by almost 200 beats per minute. I had to sit on the street. I thought I was having a heart attack.”
The test battery confirms the long COVID
This was the first of many trips to the emergency department as her condition worsened. She underwent extensive tests to rule out other diseases and conditions.
Her doctors told her she was dealing with a prolonged COVID. She was shocked to learn that even a mild case can lead to serious problems.
“My life has changed completely. I can’t do the job I did. “I can’t see a lot of people, a lot of my friends, just because I’m trying to be safe,” she said.
Tenenbaum tested positive for COVID-19 in January and recovered quickly. But in February, she began to feel dizzy and fainted one night on her way home from a friend’s house. (David Laughlin / CBC)
“I am hypertensive. So I have the blood pressure of a middle-aged man with heart disease. I have asthma. I feel unwell after exercise. So just any inability to strain without feeling bad for days, chest pain, difficulty breathing. That is the main burden. “
Last fall, a team from Nova Scotia Health began actively calling patients three months after their initial diagnosis of COVID-19 to ask if they had long-term symptoms.
Approximately 50% of patients over the age of 16 report having one symptom. Ten percent had some kind of functional impairment such as brain fog or muscle weakness.
300 Scots receive additional support
The post-COVID team is now working with these patients, offering access to healthcare professionals and support groups to help them recover.
Ashley Harnish, the team’s health services manager, says it is a common misconception that all long-term COVID cases come from those who were the sickest in the beginning.
“We now know that this is not really the case that people may have post-COVID who may have dealt with their entire acute illness in their communities or at home,” she said.
Sofia Nichols, standing up, helps Tenenbaum get out into the fresh air. (David Laughlin / CBC)
Harnish says there are approximately 300 new Scots who receive extra support because of the long COVID, but she believes there are more patients who have not been identified.
Part of the problem, she says, is to teach healthcare providers what to look for. The long COVID is still a new condition and their understanding of it is constantly evolving.
“It’s not as simple as ‘I have a persistent cough,'” she said of the symptoms. “Nova Scotia is really dynamic. So we have to be responsive to help patients.”
Long road to recovery
Harnish says some patients need specialist advice, while others benefit from physiotherapists or occupational therapy.
“They work with patients to see what is most urgent or urgent for them,” she said.
Tenenbaum knows that she will have a long recovery. She is still too weak to walk down the street to the bus stop.
She learns to listen to her body and rest as much as possible. She joined online support groups to connect with others struggling with prolonged COVID.
Her roommate Sofia Nichols helps with whatever she can with groceries, cleaning and walking in the neighborhood with a wheelchair.
Nichols says it was shocking to see the change in her friend.
“It gave me a new perspective on how serious it can be, especially at any age,” she said. “I think for a lot of young kids, it’s ‘Well, that wouldn’t happen to me.’ But it can and is serious, and it must be a serious thought in people’s minds. “
Tenenbaum hoped to go to graduate school in the fall. Instead, she will move home with her parents and study part-time online.
She hopes that by retreating for a while, she will be able to fully recover.
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