'There's no end in sight': Road to recovery complicated for COVID 'long-haulers'
It was nearly a year and a half ago, in January of 2020, that Coty Powall of Oromocto, N.B., contracted what she and her doctors believe to have been a very early, and serious case of COVID-19.
"When I would cough, it felt like I had glass in my chest," says Powall, "I could barely take breaths at all."
Today, the 40-year-old home daycare operator is still dealing with the after-effects of the illness, many months later – suffering from severe symptoms that include intense pain, fatigue, numbness, and insomnia.
"The after effects are worse than the actual illness was, and there's no end in sight at this point," says Powall.
"I'm terrified to go off of this medication, because all it's doing at this point is suppressing this pain."
While they may be considered to be recovered from the virus, many, like Powall report lingering and often debilitating post-COVID symptoms.
"I hit a wall on July 3 (2020) and I had this huge wave of fatigue hit me, I did not even understand what was going on," says Jennifer Mont of Halifax, who is also dealing with lasting health issues that have persisted long after getting the virus.
"My cough came back, my chest pains came back –that was one of the other things I was experiencing with my time with COVID, I was experiencing some intense chest pains."
An online support group for COVID-19 'long-haulers' in Canada has now reached nearly 14,000 members – offering support and connection for a condition that is still not well understood.
Researchers at Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., are among those studying to learn more about the long-term health effects and complications from the COVID-19 virus.
The most important finding so far, biology professor Vett Lloyd says, is that the evidence validates what patients have been saying.
"They are very ill, they have multi-system symptoms, pretty much everything is affected – it can be debilitating and it can be ongoing, in some cases it can be worse than their experience with acute COVID," says Lloyd.
The research to date also reveals that the road to recovery for those dealing with long COVID, can be winding.
"With some people, they get better then they get worse. Some people it's very much a relapsing and remitting pattern, other people get a little bit better then plateau, other people they get better – it just takes a long time."
Lloyd says the study is ongoing and they will continue until there is a solution for those who are sick. The study, is called Chronic Complications of COVID-19 and is available online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery caught on video
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.