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The curse of Long Covid

An increasing number of people are suffering long term symptoms from the coronavirus. Karen Glaser reports.

October 29, 2020 10:47
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ByKaren Glaser, Karen Glaser

6 min read

When doctor Ilana Samson finishes a shift at the Whittington Hospital she calls her husband her to let him know she’s on her way home. But she has to stop in the hospital car park if she’s saying more than a few words. It’s too strenuous for her to walk and talk at the same time.

And when she’s back in Hendon, Samson pauses more than once as she climbs the three flights of stairs to the flat where the couple live with their two-year-old daughter.

Getting enough sleep is also difficult for the hospital consultant in acute medicine. “I get drenched in sweat — so badly we typically change pillows twice a night. Sometimes I sleep in towels.”

Exhaustion and profuse sweating are just two of the symptoms that have stayed with Samson, 45, since she first fell ill with Covid-19 on the first night of Pesach. “I served the meal, went to bed and didn’t leave it for the next fortnight.” Seven months later the Ner Yisrael Community member still suffers joint and muscle aches. Nerve damage to her left foot means she trips up occasionally.