The Impacts and Uncertainty of Long Term COVID

Greeting Stewards, 

Happy October! This has flown by. I cannot believe 2022 will be over in 2 months and we will be in 2023 soon. But even as the year turns over, we face ongoing uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic. Some say it is over, including, most recently, President Biden. Meanwhile, thousands of new cases are still being detected each day, and as many going unreported. And we still have an incomplete understanding of the potential impact of long Covid.

In today’s linked article, Sarah Kilch Gaffney speaks about her experience with her husband long-term COVID and how it changed their lives and continues to impact their lives. 

Gaffney’s husband contracted the virus in January of 2021 and had no underlying health conditions. However, over the months following his positive test, Gaffney’s seemingly healthy husband began suffering brain fog as well as heart-attack-like symptoms as well that sent him to the emergency room. 

Even now, everything “from brushing his teeth to taking a phone call saps his energy,” Gaffney says. “The basement stairs leave him winded, and he experiences constant chest pain. If something is burning or if a diaper needs to be changed, he can’t tell, because he never regained his sense of smell.” Gaffey has had to take on more responsibilities than she has had to in the past. Despite her husband wanting to help, they cannot divide labor as they used to. 

Gaffey says, “Perhaps the most frustrating part is that there is no clear path forward; the lack of uncertainty and clarity around treatments and prognosis for long Covid patients is bewildering. It’s unsettling to not have a timeline or any clear direction in terms of his care.” This story reflects the theme of our PAHS 2022 forum series, Uncertain Together, and exemplifies the ongoing challenges we all face in assessing our own risk as well as the impact we have on the  risk for others as make our daily decisions on ever-shifting and chronically uncertain ground.

In closing, a reminder that PAHS is still recruiting for our Uncertain Together 2022 Forum Series!  We only have two left for this year so sign up while you still can! 

More information and dates of our forums can be found on our Forum Page. To register for our forums, please use the button down below. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at steward@umn.edu.

Warmly,

Asheanna