It seems that many people who have tested positive for covid-19 have been suffering from unusual side effects weeks after contracting the virus.
Some have reported being left with terrible earache and sore gums while others have had dizzy spells. In the Liverpool City Region, the latest data from Public Health England logged 3,091 cases in the week ending April 22.
That's 1,176 fewer cases than in the previous seven days. However, it's estimated that one in 10 will experience so-called long covid. Having long covid could see people take weeks, months or even years to fully recover. Infection rates reached a record high during March because of the BA2 Omicron variant and it seems that people have been hit with longer and more unusual periods of coronavirus illness with some people reporting serious issues with what has been branded 'brain fog'.
Read more: Covid symptoms: Can you get it twice in a month and signs of reinfection
Chiara Rinaldi, 38, said that prior to testing positive she felt deeply fatigued and in a 'state of otherworldliness'. At times she felt so exhausted that she questioned whether or not she'd make it home after the school run.
The WalesOnline editor explained that everything seemed to be a 'major effort'. She said: "A week in I had a migraine, so I blamed that, but days after it hadn't gone away. Convinced my symptoms were something more physical, I went to the GP."
Chiara explained it was hard to put into words how she was feeling but had a weakness on one side of her body which would come and go along with brain fog and dizzy spells. At first, the mum-of-two thought it was a deficiency or anaemia.
However, after the GP found a water infection and woke up with chest pains the next day, she ended up in hospital for tests. The tests came back all clear and was put down to costochondritis which is common after an infection.
Although she was put on antibiotics and her chest pain had gone, nothing else had improved. It was then that she tested positive for Covid and felt 'a massive relief' knowing why she felt terrible. The common symptoms like a sore throat and cough then started, however, this wasn't where her symptoms ended. She had spent the night vomiting a week later and still has a slight cough over six weeks on.
Despite days when she felt as though she was getting better, Chiara didn't manage to shake the exhaustion. She explained that her symptoms get worse just before lunchtime and that she finds it difficult to get her words out during meetings.
Another journalist, Carolyn Hitt, spoke about her own experience with the virus. She explained that although she had the common flu-like signs at the start, a fortnight later started having a terrible earache.
She said: "It's like when you've been on a flight and your ears won't pop. It's that kind of feeling of having pressure in the head. I've had sore eyes as well, a bit like conjunctivitis.
"Everything from the neck up has felt inflamed - even my gums felt sore which was a strange one. My brother had it at the same time and he had very similar symptoms."
Carolyn stated that her range of symptoms made her feel 'washed out' and needed to have a nap in the afternoon for quite a few days. She said: "There was nothing on my chest at all which is great. Maybe the vaccine stopped [the virus] from reaching there."
Sharing her experience on her personal Facebook page, it seems that her friends also experienced similar issues. One person commented they have been needing naps with another agreeing that they're very tired and suffers from brain fog.
As Carolyn didn't have a high temperature or dry cough when she tested positive for covid-19, she was surprised at how unwell she felt. However, she's since started to return back to her normal self
Nine extra symptoms were added to the official NHS list in April. The new list of symptoms includes the three previously listed and adds:
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling tired or exhausted
- An aching body
- A headache
- A sore throat
- A blocked or runny nose
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhoea
- Feeling sick or being sick
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