For some people living with long Covid, their symptoms have improved. One thing is clear, though: in recovery, one size does not fit all
• Read the Guardian’s new series, Living with long Covid
Florence Mutesva fell ill on the ward. A nurse for 18 years, she had been caring for patients with respiratory problems at University College London hospitals (UCLH) when her symptoms came on. Beyond feeling ropey, she was scared. It was March 2020 and people were dying as the first wave of Covid – a mysterious new disease – swept across Britain.
Mutesva signed off sick on 23 March, a date branded on the brains of many in Britain as the day the prime minister announced the nation’s first lockdown. Mutesva had little choice in the matter: the infection took hold and incapacitated her. She was coughing and struggling to breathe. She had palpitations and pains in her chest. She couldn’t get to the shower without stopping for breath.
