Long Covid is still here. I know – my life came to a stop because of it

‘[Long Covid’s] domino effect is predictable, but that doesn’t make it easy to treat, prevent or even diagnose.’ Composite: Rita Liu/The Guardian/Getty Images/Unsplash

I am 30ft below the surface of the Blue Grotto, a crystalline diving hole in central Florida. Between the water’s embrace and the restriction of my wetsuit, my blood pressure finally stabilizes. The long, deep breaths I pull from my respirator keep my heart rate nice and low.

I feel lighter than I have since April 2022, when I first contracted long Covid. I feel childlike at the fact that I can do this at all – get scuba certified – when on land I’m often confined to a wheelchair or a walker.