Five years after the pandemic, life has come to a standstill due to the long-term effects of the new coronavirus.

Three years ago, Andrea Vanek was studying to become an art teacher when she suddenly developed a bout of dizziness and heart palpitations that left her unable to even take short walks.

After a series of doctor's visits, she was diagnosed with a long-term coronavirus infection and still spends most of her days in her small living room on the third floor of her Vienna apartment, sitting by the window and looking outside. observing the world.

“We can't plan anything because we don't know how long this disease will last,” the 33-year-old Austrian told AFP.

According to the World Health Organization, the first case of the new coronavirus was detected in China in December 2019, sparking a global pandemic that has caused more than 7 million deaths.

But millions more people are suffering from the long-term effects of COVID-19, with some experiencing symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and shortness of breath. struggling to recover from the acute stage of

Vanek is careful not to strain to avoid another “crash,” which in her case is characterized by debilitating muscle weakness that can last for months. , even opening a water bottle becomes difficult.

Anita Jain from the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said: “We know that prolonged exposure to COVID-19 is a big problem.”

According to the World Health Organization, about 6 percent of people infected with the coronavirus develop long-term COVID-19 infection, and about 777 million coronavirus cases have been recorded so far. .

Jain added that while the long-term morbidity of COVID-19 after an initial infection is decreasing, reinfection poses an increased risk.

“Everything hurts.”

Chantal Britt, who lives in Bern, Switzerland, was infected with the new coronavirus in March 2020. She said the lingering effects of coronavirus have “upended her life” and forced her to “reinvent” herself.

“I used to be a really early riser. Now it takes me at least two hours to get up in the morning because everything hurts,” the 56-year-old former marathon runner explained.

“I no longer hope that I'll be fine in the morning. But I'm still a little surprised at how old I am and how broken I am.”

According to the WHO, about 15% of people with long-term COVID-19 have symptoms that persist for more than a year, but women tend to be at higher risk of developing COVID-19 than men. .

Britt, who once described herself as a “workaholic,” now works part-time as a university researcher studying the long-term coronavirus and other topics.

She lost her job in the communications industry in 2022 because she asked for shorter working hours.

I miss sports, which used to be like “therapy,” and now I have to plan my daily activities more, like thinking about where I can sit and rest when I go shopping.

The lack of understanding from those around her also makes it difficult for her.

“This is an invisible disease… coupled with all the stigma surrounding it,” she said.

“Even people who are really seriously affected are in their dark rooms at home, they can't touch anymore, and if there's any noise, they're going to have an accident. They don't look sick.” she said.

Falling “through the cracks”

WHO's Jain said it could be difficult for health care providers to diagnose and it was important to raise awareness of the condition.

More than 200 symptoms are listed, along with common symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive impairment.

“The focus now is on supporting patients and providing clinicians with tools for accurate diagnosis and early detection of long-term COVID-19 infections,” she said.

Patients like Vanek are also struggling financially. She has filed two lawsuits to get more help, but neither has yet been heard.

She said the less than $840 in assistance she received won't cover her costs, including the high medical costs of many of the medications she needs to control her symptoms.

“It's very difficult for students who are suffering from the lingering effects of coronavirus. We have fallen straight into the cracks of the social system and are unable to start work,” she said.

Britt would also like to see more targeted research into post-infectious conditions, such as long-term COVID-19 infections.

“We need to understand them better because the pandemic will come back and we will be as ignorant as ever,” she said.