Long Covid can follow an infection with the corona virus.
Symptoms such as exhaustion, smell and taste disorders or forgetfulness persist for months.
A normal everyday life is impossible for those affected.
We spoke to an affected woman from Weilheim.
Weilheim
- Petra Reiter did not have a fever during her illness. "The first symptoms were also rather mild," says the 51-year-old looking back on her corona disease. “But after a few days it got really intense.” At that time, a proper cough was accompanied by nausea, diarrhea, headaches and the loss of the sense of taste and smell. After a while, the woman from Weilheim also had massive sleep problems. On top of that, she often found it difficult to find the right words in conversations.
In March 2020, she was one of the first in the district to suffer from the novel corona virus.
Although she didn't have to be ventilated or hospitalized at the time, she hasn't really recovered to this day.
The symptoms have persisted, some of them less severe, but some of them more intense than during the infection.
Reiter suffers from post-Covid syndrome.
Chronic fatigue is one of the main hallmarks of the syndrome, also known as "Long Covid".
Those affected feel a leaden tiredness that does not subside even after the acute infection.
Everyday things like shopping or doing household chores become a challenge.
Participation in normal working life seems impossible.
On sick leave for 19 months
“I have always really enjoyed working,” emphasizes Reiter, who worked as an education advisor in adult education. "But I have been on sick leave for 19 months and have two failed attempts at reintegration." Her everyday life is shaped by her complaints. “I never know what my day will be like.” Sometimes it gets better, sometimes it gets worse. She simply needs more time for a lot and often has to take breaks. "I used to work full-time and had a normal household, today I don't work and the household is so-so."
Reiter has been sleeping badly for a year and a half.
“If I manage to do six hours a night, then I am lucky.” She usually goes to bed around 11pm and is awake again from 2am.
“At around 4 or 5 I will go back to sleep for an hour.” She says that for over a year after the infection, diarrhea and nausea were accompanied by varying degrees of intensity.
And her sense of taste only returned twelve months after her illness.
"But I still can't taste and smell full."
Find the right words
Above all, Petra Reiter is troubled by cognitive problems. “I feel like I have only a third of my brain capacity to use,” she says. “My brain was once my capital, that I'm so slow now, it hurts me a lot.” The woman has difficulty concentrating and forgets a lot. While she used to be able to give lectures off the cuff, she is now looking for the right words to end her sentences. The woman lets her husband do transfers because she has been making too many rotations since the infection. And during long phone calls, Reiter has to take notes so as not to lose the thread.
"I know that sounds like I'm demented, but it's not me, it has been checked by a doctor," she says.
The 51-year-old has not yet found a specific point of contact for her complaints in the district.
She is well looked after by her family doctor.
"But I still don't know any doctor in the Weilheim-Schongau region who specializes in long-covid."
Self-help group planned in Weilheim
Since April of this year, Reiter has been part of an online self-help group with other long-covid patients. It is good to hear that others are doing similarly to you in certain things, she says. That's why Reiter turned to the self-help office in the district office and asked about a similar group in the district. It doesn't exist yet, but it should be created now. The kick-off meeting will take place at the health department in Weilheim on October 25th. Interested and affected parties are invited. Petra Reiter will also come.
“Two years ago I wanted to be at least 85 years old,” she says.
“Today I don't necessarily have to reach this age.” She doesn't find life unbearable, “but sometimes I find myself hard to bear.” She got psychotherapeutic support, and an art therapist helps her.
Reiter has integrated a lot of movement into her everyday life - that is, as much as she can.
"That's good for me, even if I have my own slow pace."
Desire for better education in the population
For all those affected, she would like better education among the population and contact points for doctors.
When Reiter looks at the current case numbers, she can only shake her head.
"I would be in favor of much stricter measures," she says.
She could not prevent her infection at the beginning of 2020, at that time there was too little knowledge about the virus and the effect of the distance and hygiene rules.
"But today there shouldn't be any new infections."
The
Long Covid
self-help group will
meet for the kick-off event on
Monday, October 25th, at 6 p.m. in the health department in Weilheim
, on the top floor of Münchner Straße,
register by phone at 0881/6811616 or by email at Selbsthilfebuero@lra-wm.bayern.de
