AVERTISSEMENT COVID-19 : Alerte mondiale pour les personnes vaccinées : cela leur arrivera également.

 

Dr. Glenn Good, an epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, was one of the first to study the long-term effects of COVID-19. Since 2021, he has been publishing, teaching, and researching this complex phenomenon, which persists in some patients long after the initial infection.

But three years later, he is no longer just a researcher, but also a patient.

Even driving is disgusting. I constantly have to choose between working, going out, or even doing laundry.

 

For this expert, the illness has become an invisible prison: fewer precious hours in the day, more room for surprises.

 

Chronic COVID-19 disease can manifest itself in many ways, but the most common symptom is chronic fatigue. Extreme fatigue that goes beyond simple weakness. Dr. Cohen describes it as profound exhaustion... even after a restful night's sleep.

Added to this are dizziness, persistent disorientation, memory or speech problems… every task becomes a challenge.

According to a Yale University study, about half of people with long-term COVID-19 also meet the criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome, a poorly understood and often underestimated condition.

Consequences for social and professional life

Long COVID not only affects health, but also careers, social relationships, and emotional well-being. Dr. Cohen, like one in ten affected individuals in the United States, has had to drastically limit his work activities.

Many patients struggle with income loss, medical bills, and loneliness. Some have to choose between paying the rent and seeing a doctor.

Meanwhile, scientific research is stagnating, hampered by increasing public disinterest and declining funding.

Contrary to popular belief, the effects of COVID-19 disease don't just stay in the mind. They leave lasting marks on the body:

Pulmonary fibrosis, which causes breathing problems.

 

 

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Chronic carditis

POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia), in which the heart beats faster with the slightest change in position.

And above all, a weakened immune system, which makes frequent infections much more risky.

Dr. Cohen emphasizes: "It's not laziness. It's not psychosomatic. It's a true multisystem disease that is still poorly understood."

Hope? There's a hint, but no cure yet.

Dr. Cohen is participating in clinical trials for promising treatments like Paxlovid. The results are encouraging, but limited. Of the 13 patients studied, only five showed temporary improvement.

We've been in a pandemic for five years now, and there's still no officially approved treatment for chronic COVID-19.

The fight continues, but the road is long. At the same time, she remains extremely vigilant to prevent a relapse, even avoiding public places. Wearing a face mask is not an option for her, but a necessity.

A call to listen and acknowledge

Millions of people are currently suffering from persistent COVID-19 symptoms, which are not always clearly diagnosed or adequately treated, let alone recognized.

Dr. Cohen's story reminds us that one can be both a doctor and a victim. That one can know everything about a disease... and still be safe from it.

Are you or someone you know suffering from chronic COVID-19?
Share this story to break the silence surrounding this still-taboo disease.

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