Sian used to bike regularly and work as a physical therapist before contracting Covid in May 2020.
Sian Griffiths has been with long-lasting covid for 18 months.
She is desperate to get back to work, but is “ashamed” that the coronavirus has kept her in a mental “fog” that prevents her from concentrating.
“I can’t drive far, I forget to close the doors, I burn the food. And when I’m reading, my brain turns one word into another. I lose concentration, ” the 43-year-old tells BBC journalist Owain Clarke.
Sian, who lives in Wales, is one case of those around 1.3 million people in the UK living with long-term covid, which represents more than 2% of the nation.
There is no internationally agreed definition of what long-lasting covid is, so specialists do not yet know how common it is or what symptoms are involved.
Symptoms may differ. Last more than four weeks and may include extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, palpitations, joint pain, or changes in taste and smell.
Griffiths contracted covid in May 2020 while working as a physical therapist at the British public health service (NHS).
He says that before he got sick “he was fine, had a full-time job and rode a bicycle in the mountains and traveled 64 kilometers on the road.”
“Now I have to have my mom and dad basically trying to remind me to do things all the time. It’s heartbreaking, ” he says.
Swimming in open water
A specialist told him to swim to recover. She now engages in open water swimming three times a week in North Wales, near her home.
Sian joined an open water swimming group to help her with her long recovery.
“It feels like the fog is disappearing, I can think a little clearer,” he says.
“It lasts regarding an hour and a half following I go out and I hope that the longer I do it, the effect will last a little longer.”
For swimming uses a wetsuit it helps the understanding of blood and oxygen of the brain.
But there are times when she feels embarrassed to leave the house to go swimming but not to go to work.
“I feel ashamed of what people think of me because I can go to the water but I can’t go to work. That just doesn’t suit me, even though I’ve been told to.”
Swims for 20 minutes, three times a week
Health professionals they’re still learning how to deal with prolonged covid
“In Wales we are committed to ensuring that all people suffering from covid for a long time receive support and care tailored to their particular needs and symptoms, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, as close to home as possible,” said Welsh Minister of Health Eluned Morgan.
“We are still learning regarding prolonged covid and this review will help us further improve services. We will continue to monitor the support required and adapt accordingly as we learn more to ensure the services are available to all those who need support,” he added.
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