Cyndi – "the lonely business of Long COVID"

Cyndi contracted COVID-19 in 2020. After a brief admission to hospital for breathing issues, she returned to her exercise and work routine. Despite this return to ‘normal,’ Cyndi “did not recover” – she describes lingering symptoms of fatigue, painful ribs and muscles and poor mental acuity after exertion of any kind: physical, mental or emotional.  

 

In March 2021, Cyndi’s doctor advised her to cease work for a month to rest before returning to a reduced work schedule. Thankfully, Cyndi’s workplace at the time was accommodating to this change and after an initial rejection, her income protection claim was approved by her insurer.  

 

It has now been 27 months since her initial infection and Cyndi is still experiencing symptoms and unable to work full time. 

 

When initially contracting COVID-19, Cyndi states that she was “very scared” and despite the wonderful staff at the hospital, her experience navigating the hospital system provoked both anxiety and uncertainty.  

 

In the aftermath of her hospital stay, Cyndi believes the advice that she received to get back into exercise in fact hindered her recovery and contributed to her Long COVID condition. She also claims that there is a lack of consistency in terms of both general knowledge and treatment options provided by medical professionals in relation to Long COVID, particularly given it is a relatively new phenomenon.  

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In terms of work and her financial state, Cyndi’s health costs have increased, and her income has decreased. She is currently seeking work but due to the time constraints around when she is physically able to work, she is finding this difficult.   

 

Ultimately, Cyndi states that “having long COVID is a lonely business” and that “the worst thing and the biggest impact is the uncertainty”.