Wigan woman tells of months-long health battle against 'long-tail' Covid-19

She had not imagined, during a nightmare couple of weeks in which her father also contracted the coronavirus and died in hospital, that she would still be battling a long list of symptoms months later.

Gilly, from Ashton, is one of the people across the country experiencing so-called “long tail” effects which mean they have not properly recovered from Covid-19.

In her case symptoms have included severe cramps, exhaustion, breathlessness and horrendous tightness in her chest and buzzing in her ears.

Gilly has joined a support group on Facebook run by Wigan-born long-tail Covid-19 sufferer Louise Barnes, which is trying to amass as much information as it can about how many people’s initially-mild brush with the virus has turned into a serious, long-term health ordeal.

Gilly, 46, said: “After two weeks I felt reasonably well, I just had this cough that wouldn’t go away. But then I just kept thinking I was so breathless and tired. I was exhausted.

“I lost a stone in weight, I had no appetite and I started with these muscle cramps on the side of my leg, my foot and my hand. It was horrendous and bizarre, I had never had anything like it in my life before.

“I do have existing medical conditions, I have arthritis and I’m on medication but even that didn’t seem to be working. I had pain in joints that had never hurt before. It was like everything was magnified.

“I also had tinnitus in my ears. It would come and go but I’m still having that now.

“When I was at my worst my chest was so tight and I had pain in my left lung. It’s a lot better than it was but when I take a deep breath I still get pain now.

“I was hoarse and when I went to my GP they said my kidney function wasn’t as it should be and I was extremely dehydrated.

“It seems like I’m having long-lasting symptoms of the coronavirus but doctors don’t really know. It’s the unknown.”

Gilly endured a terrible first few weeks of the coronavirus pandemic as she had to help look after her dad when her sister was sent home from work with Covid symptoms.

They both became ill despite isolating and her dad was taken to hospital where, sadly, he died. Both Gilly and her father tested positive for Covid-19.

Gilly was one of the first people to sign up to Louise’s support group on social media after she reached out to her having seen Facebook posts about her family’s situation.

The group now has around 1,600 members from all walks of life and a varied range of ages and health profiles.

Although some long-tail Covid-19 sufferers, like cancer patient Gilly, have had serious health battles in their lives others have never been severely unwell until now.

Many are also battling the problem that, as a new illness, the long-term effects of Covid-19 are largely unknown and health professionals, along with those affected, are learning as they go along.

Gilly said: “Joining the group was just eye-opening. It’s great to have that support network because there isn’t anywhere else. I’ve actually had it so much lighter than some other people. Louise was feeling horrendous.

“It’s just unbelievable. Some people don’t even realise that this is going on and on and they need to be aware.

“A lot of people are being told they’ve got anxiety after being so poorly, but I’ve had anxiety and depression and I know the difference.

“I was more terrified of catching coronavirus than I was of having cancer. My doctors know what they are doing with cancer and how to treat it but this is the fear of the unknown.

“I’m having to get on with things and do my shopping in quiet times, but I’ve not had an antibody test and I don’t know if I’ve got them. Quite a few people have tested negative for antibodies and we don’t know if the tests are reliable enough. I’ve just got no idea.

“People are still being affected by it and it’s a domino effect that’s just going to keep rolling. Some people have had far worse and much longer symptoms than others.

“I didn’t go to hospital, although I was on the edge of it, but some people have been hospitalised.”

The group is now calling for rehab centres to be set up around the country for those requiring long-term treatment.

Gilly said: “Something needs to be in place for after care, and it just doesn’t seem to be there at the moment.”

Anyone who has been affected by long-term Covid-19 symptoms can join the social media support group by search ing for Post Covid Syndrome Support on Facebook.