Nearly two years into the pandemic, people like me are still out of action. We need better support and more funding
As we hurtle towards the end of the year, it’s always a time for reflection. Getting through the festive period will be a challenge: after a couple of hours of chatting with friends at dinner, I had to go and lie down to rest, to switch my body and brain off and allow them to recharge. It’s an improvement from last year, when I wouldn’t have got there to begin with, let alone managed a glass of fizz and engaged in conversation.
I caught Covid in March 2020, and was by definition a “mild” case: not admitted to hospital and no risk factors for severe disease, but how it has affected me and my family is anything but mild. Having been fit and active, I now find that on bad days I still struggle with everyday chores, and my usually quick-firing brain remains in slo-mo (“brain fog”), a far cry from the way it used to function when I was still working as a consultant in infectious diseases. Days become a hierarchy of lists: on bad days I have to prioritise only that which is essential, and on good days I have to be careful not to overdo it. Pacing has become vital, and the joy of spontaneity has been vanquished. Everything has to be planned, to allow for time and rest between each activity, be it physical or mental. As I write this, I am aware I am not following that mantra, and there will probably be payback tomorrow.
When fit to work, Joanna Herman is a consultant in infectious diseases in London, and teaches at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
